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A  HISTOEY 


OF   THE 


TOWNSHIPS 


BYBERRY   AND    MORELAND, 


PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 

From  their  Earliest  Settlements  by  the  Whites  to  the 
Present  Time. 


BY 


JOSEPH  C.  MARTINDALE,  M.D. 


NEW  AND  REVISED  EDITION 

edited  by 
ALBERT  W.  DUDLEY,  B.  S. 


PHILADELPHIA 
GEORGE  W.   JACOBS   &   CO. 

103-105  S.  FIFTEENTH  STREET 


F157 


PREFACE. 


Byberry  and  Moreland  have  from  time  to  time  been 
made  the  subjects  of  various  historical  sketches.  The 
pioneer  in  this  work  seems  to  have  been  Isaac  Comly.  He 
spent  a  large  part  of  his  time  in  collecting  such  material. 
In  1827,  in  the  memoirs  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Penn- 
sylvania, appeared  one  of  his  first  productions  in  this  line. 
This  being  a  short  sketch  and  wishing  to  bring  the  subject 
more  comprehensively  before  the  public,  he  began  work- 
ing on  a  more  complete  accoimt  of  his  native  home. 
In  1847,  ^^  had  the  work  in  manuscript  form.  Owing  to 
death  soon  after,  the  work  was  never  published. 

The  good  work  was  next  taken  up  by  Isaac  Martindale, 
a  relative  of  Isaac  Comly.  In  an  historical  sketch  of 
Moreland  and  Byberry  written  for  the  Germantown  Tele- 
graph by  that  untiring  student  of  local  history,  Rev.  S. 
F.  Hotchkin,  appeared  a  letter  of  Isaac  Martindale.  In 
it  he  says :  "I  early  imbibed  a  love  for  'early  times'  by 
direct  inheritance  from  my  mother,  who  was  Phebe 
Comly,  daughter  of  Joseph  Comly  and  granddaughter  of 
Isaac  Comly,  who  married  Asenath  Hampton  of  Wrights- 
town,  Bucks  County.  Joseph  Comly,  my  grandfather, 
and  Isaac  Comly,  a  noted  writer  of  his  day,  became  quite 
conspicuous  in  the  affairs  of  the  vicinity;  and  it  is  to 
these  we  are  solely  indebted  for  the  preservation  of  the 
early  records  of  Byberry  and  Moreland. 


M834174 


Vlll  PREFACE. 

In  early  life,  I  took  up  the  subject  where  it  had  been  left 
by  my  uncle  Isaac,  who  died  in  1847,  with  the  purpose  of 
revising  and  ultimately  publishing  it,  being  encouraged 
by  my  mother,  who  possessed  a  very  retentive  memory. 
In  a  few  years,  I  had  familiarized  myself  with  much  of  the 
early  history  of  the  townships  and  knew  most  of  the  land- 
marks. I  had  collected  in  manuscript  a  vast  amount  of 
interesting  matter,  had  verified  dates,  etc.,  but  the  active 
duties  of  a  farmer's  life  required  most  of  my  time.  On 
one  occasion,  when  my  brother  was  visiting  our  old  home, 
I  brought  to  his  knowledge  the  work  I  had  in  hand,  and 
he  became  greatly  interested  in  it,  and  having  more  leis- 
ure than  myself,  he  proposed  taking  hold  of  it  with  me. 
About  that  time  I  left  Byberry  and  went  into  a  bank,  and 
he  carried  out  the  publishing  of  the  history.  One  small* 
edition  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  copies  was  issued,  it 
being  my  purpose  subsequently  to  issue  a  revised  edition, 
but  that  time  has  never  come." 

At  almost  the  same  time,  appeared  in  the  Memoirs  of 
the  Historical  Society  an  account  of  Moreland  by  William 
T.  Buck,  Esq.  Somewhat  later  appeared  General  W.  W. 
H.  Davis'  "History  of  Bucks  County."  After  this  a 
manuscript  history  of  the  Lower  Dublin  Academy  was 
written.  And  still  later,  appeared  two  of  the  Rev.  S.  F. 
Hotchkin's  valuable  historical  works  on  "The  York 
Road,  Old  and  New,  Fox  Chase  and  Bustleton"  and 
'Bristol  Pike." 

In  the  preparation  of  the  new  edition,  I  have  been  much 
indebted  to  the  above  mentioned  as  well  as  numberless 
other  sources  of  information.  I  am  much  indebted  to 
Mahlon  Carver  for  much  valuable  information,  to  the 


PREFACE.  IX 

Rev.  S.  F.  Hotchkin,  not  only  for  historical  matter,  but 
also  for  constant  assistance  during  the  progress  of  the 
work,  and  lastly  to  Watson  C.  Martindale,  a  brother,  and 
Mrs.  Martindale,  the  widow,  of  the  author,  for  the  many 
kindnesses  received  at  their  hands. 


PREFACE  TO  FIRST  EDITION. 


In  presenting-  thife  History  of  the  townships  of  By- 
berry  and  Moreland  to  the  pubHc,  a  few  words  in  refer- 
ence to  it  will  not  be  out  of  place  here.  The  late  Isaac 
Comly,  of  Byberry,  was  exceedingly  fond  of  local  history, 
and  spent  a  great  portion  of  his  time  in  collecting  and 
arranging  all  matters  of  local  interest  that  came  to  his 
notice.  He  kept  a  regular  account  of  all  the  more  im- 
portant events  which  transpired  in  these  and  the  adjoining 
townships,  from  about  1810  to  the  time  of  his  decease, 
in  1847.  Some  years  previous  to  his  death,  with  the  ma- 
terial then  on  hand,  he  wrote  a  history  of  Byberry,  which, 
however,  was  never  published.  After  his  death,  the  man- 
uscript passed  into  the  hands  of  his  executors,  Watson 
Comly,  Charles  B.  Comly,  and  Dr.  Isaac  Comly.  It  was, 
however,  far  from  being  complete,  and  after  some  con- 
sultation we  concluded  to  collect  such  additional  matter 
as  could  be  obtained  and  have  it  published.  We  therefore 
commenced  the  work  in  earnest,  and  after  much  labor  and 
not  a  little  trouble,  on  account  of  the  indifference  mani- 
fested by  many  persons,  we  have  so  far  succeeded  as  now 
to  be  able  to  present  a  connected  history  of  these  town- 
ships from  their  earliest  settlement  by  the  whites  to  the 
present  time. 

In  writing  this  history  we  have  been  influenced  entirely 


XU  PREFACE  TO  FIRST  EDITION. 

by  a  desire  to  preserve  many  valuable  historical  records 
and  interesting  reminiscences  connected  with  olden  times, 
and  have  not  *'set  down  aught  in  malice"  to  any  one. 

The  work  embraces  not  only  a  history  of  the  townships 
but  also  a  sketch  of  their  topography,  geology,  and  min- 
eralogy, a  few  biographical  sketches  of  prominent  indi- 
viduals who  resided  in  them,  and  a  genealogical  account 
of  the  Bolton,  Carver,  Comly,  Duffield,  Gilbert,  Knight, 
Martindale,  Saurman,  Thornton,  Tomlinson,  Walmsley, 
Shearer,  and  Worthington  families. 

I  cannot  close  this,  however,  without  expressing  my  ob- 
ligations to  Watson  Comly  and  Isaac  C.  Martindale,  both 
of  Byberry,  for  the  interest  they  have  manifested  in  this 
history;  to  the  former  I  am  indebted  for  such  informa- 
tion and  assistance  as  could  nowhere  else  have  been  ob- 
tained, and  which  has  added  much  to  the  interest  of  these 
pages ;  to  the  latter,  who  first  engaged  in  preparing  this 
history,  and  who  has  spent  much  time  and  labor  in  hunt- 
ing up  old  manuscripts,  etc.,  too  much  credit  cannot  be 
given  for  the  valuable  assistance  he  has  thus  rendered. 

We  are  well  aware  that  this  history  is  incomplete,  and 
that  mistakes  in  it  have  undoubtedly  been  made,  but,  as 
it  is,  we  give  it  to  the  public,  hoping  that  they  may  find 
much  pleasure  in  perusing  its  records  and  reminiscences 
of  bygone  times. 


INTRODUCTION. 


By  the  Rev.  S.  F.  Hotchkin. 


In  introducing  my  young  friend  Mr.  Dudley  to  the  his- 
toric public,  it  is  fitting  to  say  that  he  deems  it  both  a 
duty  and  a  high  privilege  to  perpetuate  the  history  of  the 
region  in  which  he  dwells,  and  where  his  family  has  long 
dwelt. 

His  careful  additions  to  this  volume  will  make  a  rare 
and  valued  book  still  more  valuable. 

The  Reverend  Charles  Kingsley  styled  history  "the 
track  of  God's  footsteps  through  time";  and  the  country 
district  as  well  as  cities  and  empires  may  display  these 
traces  of  Providence. 

In  the  simple  narrative  before  us  the  wild  Indian  is 
succeeded  by  the  godly  Friend,  and  other  religious  set- 
tlers, who  turn  the  wilderness  into  a  blooming  "garden 
of  the  Lord." 

English  history  here  reproduces  itself  in  a  new  land, 
with  striking  variations;  and  the  rapid  improvements  of 
modern  life  make  a  story  well  worth  the  reading,  while 
the  old  fact  of  the  importance  of  individual  character  in 
forming  a  community  is  ever  prominent.  The  desire  to 
know  how  the  forefathers  lived  is  gratified,  and  the  lesson 
of  patience  and  integrity  should  leave  a  lasting  impression 
on  the  minds  of  their  children,  to  aid  them  in  becoming 
a  blessing  to  their  descendants  in  this  Christian  land. 


XIV  INTRODUCTION. 

The  interest  in  history  is  that  of  human  life.  An  old 
chimney  in  a  field  recalls  a  bride  and  groom,  who  began 
housekeeping  in  the  new  abode;  and  the  births  and 
burials  and  joys  and  sorrows  of  a  family  until  an  accident 
left  a  ruin  in  place  of  a  home. 

Every  valley  and  hillside  has  its  own  narrative  of  love 
and  sorrow  which  affected  a  neighborhood ;  and  happy  is 
he  who  can  so  repeat  the  tale  as  to  make  the  present  gen- 
eration receive  and  profit  by  it  in  their  own  life-struggles, 
and  hardly-won  successes,  or  instructive  defeats,  which 
only  spur  the  earnest  souls  to  bolder  endeavors. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

From  the  Earliest    Settlements   to   the   Qose   of   the    Revolu- 
tion    17 

The  Free  Society  of  Traders,  Nicholas  Moore  and  Mloreland ...  92 

Churches 102 

Preachers  of  Byberry  Meeting  iii 

Schools 121 

Assessments 144 

Events  Relating  to  the  War  of  1812 146 

Agriculture  148 

Roads   156 

Post-Offices 158 

Overseers  of  the  Poor  160 

Byberry  Library 161 

Burial  Places 164 

Philosophical  Society  171 

Adelphian  Society  173 

Distinguished  Citizens  174 

Authors 175 

Diseases 177 

Mills   178 

New  County 182 

Remarkable  Occurrences  183 

Large  Trees  184 

Big  Woman  186 

Births  and  Deaths  189 

Notes  from  Old  Manuscripts 190 

Miscellaneous   195 

Topography,  Geology,  etc 213 

Villages 219 

Biographical  Sketches 226 

Bolton  Family   254 


Xvi  CONTENTS. 

Carver  Family 263 

Comly  Family  270 

Duffield  Family    302 

Gilbert  Family  308 

Knight  Family   317 

Martindale  Family    337 

Saurman  Family    343 

Townsend  Family  347 

Thornton  Family  351 

Walmsley  Family    353 

Walton  Family  363 

Worthington  Family    377 

Tomlinson  Family 384 

Shearer  Family    389 

Conclusion  392 

Index  395 


THE    HISTORY 


OF 


BYBERRY   AND   MORELAND. 


PART  I. 

FROM  THE  EARLIEST  SETTLEMENTS  TO  THE  CLOSE  OF  THE 
REVOLUTION. 

Although  North  America  was  discovered  by  the  Ca- 
bots  in  the  year  1497,  and  the  whole  coast  was  explored 
by  contemporary  navigators,  yet  the  Delaware  River  was 
unknown  to  the  civilized  world  until  Henry  Hudson,  in 
1607,  made  a  visit  to  the  coast  and  revealed  its  existence. 
This  distinguished  navigator  spent  several  months  in  care- 
fully exploring  every  bay  and  inlet  along  the  coast,  and 
was  amply  rewarded  for  his  toil  in  the  discovery  of  the 
two  noble  streams — the  Delaware  and  the  Hudson — ^be- 
tween the  thirty-sixth  and  forty-second  degrees  of  north 
latitude,  and  the  bay  which  bears  his  name  further  to  the 
north.  These  discoveries  made  him  justly  celebrated  as 
a  navigator,  and  will  serve  as  lasting  monuments  of  his 
glory.  The  Hudson  River  was  named  the  North,  and  the 
Delaware  the  South  River.    The  name  of  the  latter,  how- 


l8  THE  HISTORY  OF 

ever,  was  changed  to  Delaware,^  in  honor  of  Lord  Dela- 
ware, who  sailed  into  the  bay  in  the  year  1610.  At  what 
time  the  first  European  entered  the  river  is  not  now 
known,  but  in  Roggerveen's  map  of  New  Netherlands, 
printed  at  Amsterdam  in  1676,  the  course  of  the  Delaware 
River,  with  most  of  its  tributaries,  among  which  is  the 
Poquessing,  is  delineated  with  considerable  accuracy. 

The  settlement  of  Pennsylvania  is  generally  considered 
as  having  been  commenced  in  1681  by  William  Penn,  but 
the  Dutch  and  Swedes  had  made  settlements  on  the  west- 
ern bank  of  the  Delaware  previous  to  that  time,  and  had 
given  to  the  country  now  embraced  in  Delaware,  Chester, 
Philadelphia  and  Bucks  Counties,  the  name  of  "Upland 
County."  William  Penn  changed  this  name  to  that  of 
Chester  soon  after  his  arrival,  and  some  time  in  the  same 
year,  the  exact  date  of  which  is  not  known,  he  divided  it 
into  three  counties, — Chester,  Philadelphia,  and  Bucks. 
We  find  no  account  of  any  Swedish  settlements  having 
been  made  in  the  vicinity  of  Byberry,  but  it  is  quite  prob- 
able that  some  such  settlements  were  made,  as  we  find  in 
the  list  of  "overseers  for  the  highways  nominated  and 
elected  by  the  Court,  March  14th,  1682,  for  one  year  next 
ensuing,  which  is  to  be  done  within  their  respective  pre- 
cincts before  the  last  day  of  May  'ut  sequitur/  the  name 
of  Erick  Mullikay,  as  overseer  for  the  district  extending 
from  Tawrony  (Tacony)  Creek  to  Poynessink  (Poques- 
sing) Creek."  That  there  was  a  settlement  made  in  By- 
berry  previous  to  the  arrival  of  Penn  there  can  be  but  lit- 

*  The  Indians  appear  to  have  had  a  number  of  names  for  the  Dela- 
ware River.  The  Lenni  Lenape  called  it  Lenape-wihittuck  or  the 
river  of  the  Lenape.  Nearer  its  mouth,  the  river  was  called  Kit- 
hanne  or  main  stream. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  I9 

tie  doubt;  and  we  learn  from  a  communication  made  by 
Benjamin  Kite  to  RobertvS  Vaux,  that  the  Walton  family 
settled  within  the  limits  of  Byberry  in  the  year  1675, 
seven  years  before  Penn  arrived  in  America.  This  family 
consisted  of  four  brothers,.  Nathaniel,Thomas,  Daniel,  and 
William,  who  were  all  young  and  single  men.  They  gave 
to  the  place  the  name  of  Byberry^  in  honor  of  their  native 
town,  near  Bristol,  in  England.  They  arrived  at  New 
Castle,  from  England,  early  in  1675,  provided  with  axes, 
hoes,  etc.,  ready  for  making  a  settlement  in  the  wilder- 
ness. From  New  Castle  they  proceeded  along  the  Dela- 
ware in  search  of  a  place  for  a  settlement,  and  carried 
their  whole  stock  of  utensils,  provisions,  etc.,  on  their 
backs.  After  some  time  spent  in  examining  the  country, 
they  arrived  at  the  Poquessing  Creek,  and  were  so  highly 
pleased  with  the  level  lands  in  that  vicinity,  the  abundance 
of  good  water,  and  the  beautiful  appearance  of  the  coun- 

*  Concerning  the  origin  of  the  name  Byberry,  there  is  more  or  less 
uncertainty.  The  most  probable  explanation  is  that  the  name  was 
given  to  the  place  by  the  Waltons  in  honor  of  their  home  near  Bris- 
tol, in  England.  At  this  Byberry,  Henry  VIII.  erected  a  royal  palace 
and  lived  there  during  a  portion  of  his  time. 

"By"  in  Old  English  meant  to  build  up  or  a  building  up.  It  is  some- 
times used  at  the  end  of  a  word  with  the  significance  of  town  or 
village.    "Berry"  in  Old  English  meant  town. 

In  a  manuscript  written  by  Isaac  Comly  about  1847,  we  find  the 
following :  ■  "It  has  been  reported  that  the  Waltons,  who  were  among 
the  first  settlers,  gave  the  place  the  name  Byberry  in  reference  to  a 
place  of  that  name  where  they  dwelt  in  England.  Another  story 
says  the  new  settlers  determined  upon  the  name  by  each  of  them 
causing  that  which  he  preferred  to  be  written  and  deposited  in  a  hat, 
and  it  was  agreed,  after  being  well  shook  up,  the  first  drawn  should 
be  adopted; — and  it  came  out  Byberry.  We  never  read  of  any  By- 
berry elsewhere,  but  it  has  been  said,  there  is  a  small  village  so 
called  in  the  neighborhood  of  Bristol,  England.  The  word  is  an 
English  compound  and  signifies  a  habitation  or  castle  upon  a  hill." 


20  THE  HISTORY  OF 

try.  that  they  determined  upon  making  a  settlement  near 
the  banks  of  that  stream.^ 

Having  neither  the  time  nor  the  means  for  erecting  a 
dwelling,  they  dug  a  cave  in  the  earth  and  covered  it  with 
bark  and  dirt,  in  which  they  resided  for  several  months, 
while  they  proceeded  to  prepare  the  land  for  their  crops. 
Not  having  any  wheat  with  which  to  sow  their  lands,  two 
of  the  brothers,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  same  summer, 
walked  to  New  Castle  to  procure  a  bushel  of  wheat  for 
seed ;  and,  shouldering  a  half  a  bushel  each,  they  carried 
it  all  the  way  home,  a  distance  of  nearly  fifty  miles.  The 
land,  for  want  of  other  utensils,  was  prepared  with  hoes, 
and  the  bushel  of  wheat  sown,  from  which  it  is  said  they 
reaped  sixty  bushels  at  the  next  harvest.  This  was  prob- 
ably the  first  wheat  ever  raised  in  the  townships. 

In  1678  we  find  there  was  surveyed  to  Peter  Rambo, 

'I  have  been  unable  to  discover  the  original  authority  for  the 
statement  that  the  Waltons  came  to  Byberry  in  1675.  The  name  does 
not  appear  in  the  old  documents  until  about  the  year  1685.  Had  they 
taken  up  their  residence  here,  it  is  evident  that  John  Carver  would 
have  been  under  no  obligation  of  going  to  Chester  for  grain  as  is 
stated.  Mary,  his  wife,  would  probably  have  applied  to  her  white 
neighbors  rather  than  rely  on  the  uncertain  hospitality  of  the  savages. 
Numerous  records  of  marriages  found  in  the  records  of  Abington 
tend  to  confirm  the  foregoing  opinion.  From  Mahlon  Carver,  I  learn 
that  the  Walton  Tract  belonged  to  James  Pearman  at  the  time  of 
Penn's  arrival. 

In  regard  to  the  Waltons,  Gilbert  Cope  writes  to  me:  "A  deed  on 
record  at  Trenton  shows  that  the  four  brothers,  Nathaniel,  Thomas, 
Daniel  and  William  Walton,  were  the  sons  of  William  Walton,  of 
Oxhill,  in  the  county  of  Warwick,  England.  Their  arrival  was 
probably  in  1683,  or  possibly  near  the  close  of  1682,  as  Nathaniel 
claimed,  in  1713,  that  he  had  paid  his  brother's  passage  'thirty  years 
and  upward,  prior  to  this  date." 

The  date  of  Nathaniel  Walton's  marriage,  as  well  as  of  several 
other  marriages  taken  from  the  records  of  Abington  Monthly  Meet- 
ing, is  erroneous,  owing  to  a  false  construction  of  the  minutes  when 
they  were  revised  years  afterward.  Nathaniel  was  married  in  Phila- 
delphia, i2mo.,  loth,  1685-6,  to  Martha  Bonell,  as  shown  by  the  re- 
corded marriage  certificate. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  21 

Jr.,  a  tract  called  "Ramsdorp,"  extending  from  the  Penny- 
pack  northeastwardly  along  the  Delaware,  and  which  con- 
tained three  hundred  acres.  In  the  preceding  year 
(1677),  warrants  were  issued  to  Ephraim  Herman,  Pelle 
Rambo,  and  Captain  Hans  Moens,  for  three  hundred  acres 
each  (making  nine  hundred  acres)  ;  and,  in  1678,  to 
Ephraim  Herman  (who,  in  the  following  year,  relin- 
quished his  right  to  Laers  Laersen),  for  the  remainder  of 
the  land  between  the  Pennypack  and  Poquessing  Creeks. 
Poquessing  is  mentioned  by  Campanius  as  an  Indian  vil- 
lage, in  which  presided  a  chief  or  sachem.  Its  precise 
location  has  been  lost,  but  was  probably  near  the  Byberry 
Creek,  not  far  from  Reuben  Parry's  meadow,  as  several 
Indian  utensils  and  implements  have  been  found  in  that 
vicinity.^ 

How  many  had  settled  in  Byberry  previous  to  1682,  is 
not  now  known,  but  in  November,  1677,  the  whole  num- 
ber of  taxables  north  of  the  Schuylkill,  including  every 
male  inhabitant  of  twxnty-one  years  of  age,  amounted  to 
sixty-five,  and  these  were  scattered  over  the  whole  coun- 
try between  that  river  and  the  Neshaminy  Creek.  Among 
these  we  find  the  names  of  Lansey  Bore,  Hans  Liken,  and 
Andrew  B'enksen,  probably  persons  of  some  note.  Our 
accounts  of  these  settlements  are  indeed  meagre,  yet  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  such  settlements  were  made,  and  that 
they  continued  until  William  Penn,  on  account  of  ser- 
vices rendered  the    crown    of    England    by    his  father, 

*  William  J.  Buck,  in  his  account  of  Moreland,  speaks  of  an  Jndian 
village  on  the  Green  Spring  Plantation  near  Somerton.  This  may 
have  been  the  village  of  which  Campanius  speaks  in  his  history. 


:i2  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Admiral  Penn,  received  the  grant  of  Pennsylvania  in  let- 
ters patent  from  King  Charles  II.,  dated  the  4th  of  March 
(May),  1 68 1.  In  this  grant  the  townships  of  Byberry 
and  Moreland  were  included.  Penn  did  not  consider  the 
grant  of  these  lands  from  the  king  a  sufficient  title; 
therefore  he  purchased  them  from  the  Indians,  in  whose 
possession  they  were  at  that  time,  and  they  accordingly 
gave  him  a  release  from  their  claims.  Those  having  re- 
ference to  the  tracts  of  land  of  which  Byberry  and  More- 
land  formed  a  part  were  as  follows : 

We,  Essepanaike,  Swanpees,  Okettarico,  and  Wessa- 
poet,  this  23d  day  of  4  month,  called  June,  in  ye  year 
according  to  ye  English  account,  1683,  for  us  and  oV 
heirs  and  assigns,  do  grant  and  dispose  of  all  our  lands 
lying  betwixt  Pemmapecka  and  Nesheminck  Creeks,  and 
all  along  Nesheminck  Creek,  and  backward  of  same,  and 
to  run  two  days  journey  with  a  horse  up  into  ye  country 
as  ye  said  river  doth  goe.  To  William  Penn,  Propriet'r 
and  Gk)vern'r  of  ye  Province  of  Pensilvania,  &c..  His 
Heirs  and  Assigns  for  ever,  for  ye  consideration  of  so 
much  Wampum,  and  so  many  Guns,  shoes,  stockings. 
Looking-glasses,  Blankets  and  other  goods,  as  ye  said 
William  Penn  shall  be  pleased  to  give  unto  us,  hereby, 
for  us,  o'r  heirs  and  assigns.  Removing  all  claims  or  De- 
mands of  anything  in  or  for  ye  Premise  for  ye  future, 
from  him,  His  heirs  and  assigns.  In  Witness  whereof  we 
have  hereunto  sett  o*r  hands  and  seals,  ye  day  and  year 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  23 

first  above  written.    Sealed  and  delivered  in  presence  of 
Lasse  Cock,  Menane, 

Philip  Th.  Lehnman,  Hittoken, 

PiETER  Cock,  Richard, 

Jos.  CURTEIS,  ShOCKHANNO. 

The  mark  of  X  Essepenaike, 
The  mark  of  X  Swanpees, 
The  mark  of  X  Okettarickow, 
The  mark  of  X  Wessapoat. 

I,  Tamanen,  23  day  of  4  month,  called  June  in  ye  year 
according  to  ye  English  account,  1683,  for  me,  my  heirs 
and  assigns,  do  grant  and  dispose  of  all  my  lands  lying 
betwixt  Pemmapecka  and  Neshamincks  Creeks,  and  all 
along  Neshamincks  Creek,  to  William  Penn,  Proprietor 
and  Governor  of  Pensilvania,  &c.,  his  heirs  and  Assigns 
for  Ever,  for  ye  Consideration  of  so  much  Wampum,  so 
many  guns,  shoes,  stockings.  Looking-glasses,  Blankets, 
and  other  goods,  as  he,  ye  said  William  Penn,  shall  please 
to  give  unto  me :  and  my  Parcell  being  much  smaller  than 
Ossepenaikes  and  Swanpees,  Hereby  for  me,  my  heirs  and 
Assigns,  renouncing  all  claims  or  demands,  of  or  in,  and 
for  3^e  future,  from  Him,  his  heirs  and  Assigns.  In  Wit- 
ness whereof  I  have  hereunto  sett  my  hand  and  seal,  ye 
day  and  year  first  above  written. 

Tammanens,  X  his  mark. 

Received,  moreover,  all   matchcoats,   stockings,  shirts 


24  THE  HISTORY  OF 

and  blankets,  besides  several  guilders  in  silver,  and  I  ac- 
knowledge I  have  sold  all  my  lands  as  above. 

Lasse  Cock^      John  Blunston,      Jos.  Curteis. 
Indians  present. 

Richard,  Shockhuppo,         Messamequon. 

The  mark  of  X  Tammanens. 
Witness — Crilbert  Hilleeler. 

23  of  ye  4  month,  1683. 

We,  Tammanen  and  Metamequan,  do  hereby  acknowl- 
edge to  have  received  of  William  Penn,  Propriet'r  and 
Govern'r  of  Pensilvania,  &c.,  these  following  goods,  be- 
ing the  consideration  for  our  tract  of  land  Betwixt  and 
about  Pemmapecka  and  Neshaminck  Creeks,  and  all  along 
Neshaminck  Creek,  sold  and  granted  unto  ye  said  Wil- 
liam Penn,  Propriet'r  and  Govern'r,  &c.,  as  by  a  deed 
dated  ye  23  of  ye  4  month,  in  ye  year  1683,  doth  more 
plain  appear,  bearing  ye  date  hereof,  with  w'h  we  doe 
hereby  hold  o'selves  fully  contented  and  satisfied. 

5  p.  Stockings,  16  knives,  10  Glasses,  20  fish-hooks,  20 
Barrs  Lead,  100  Needles,  5  Capps,  10  Tobacco  Tongs, 
10  Tobacco  Boxes,  15  Combs,  5  Hoes,  10  pr.  Sissers,  6 
Coats,  2  Guns,  9  Gimbletts,  7  half  Gills,  8  Shirts,  2  Ket- 
tles, 6  Axes,  2  Blanketts,  4  Ilandsfull  Bells,  12  awles,  5 
Hatts.  20  Handsfull  of  Wampum,  25  lbs.  powder,  4  gal. 
Strong  Water,  38  yds.  Duffills,  and  i  peck  Pipes. 

In  Witness  whereof  we  have  hereunto  sett  o'r  Hands.*^ 

Tammanen,  X  his  mark. 
'  Metamequan,  X  his  mark. 


'  Indian  treaties  for  purchase  of  land  appear  to  have  been  very 
numerous.  From  Acrelius,  we  learn  that  a  party  of  Swedes  reached 
Delaware  in  April,  1638,  on  the  ships  "Key  of  Calmar"  and  "Bird 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND. 


25 


Among  the  settlers  who  came  over  in  the  ship  *'Wel- 
come/^  which  left  England  8  mo.  30,  1682,  and  arrived  at 
New  Castle  on  the  Delaware,  two  months  afterwards,  and 
who  settled  in  Byberry,  were  Giles  Knight,  from  Glouces- 
tershire, Mary,  his  wife,  and  their  son  Joseph,  and  John 
Carver,  maltster,  from  Hertfordshire,^  Mary,  his  wife, 
and  their  daughter,  Mary,  who  was  born  near  Philadel- 
phia four  days  after  landing  at  New  Castle.  About  the 
same  time  John  Hart,  his  wife  Susannah,  and  several 
children,  arrived  from  Oxfordshire;  Richard  Collett, 
with  his  wife  Elizabeth,  and  Josiah  Ellis,  also  arrived,  and 
all  located  within  the  present  limits  of  Byberry.  Some 
time  during  the  next  year  (1683)  John  Rush,  an  elderly 
Friend  from  Oxfordshire,  arrived  with  his  family,  con- 
sivSting  of  five  sons  and  one  daughter.  One  son,  William, 
brought  his  wife  Aurelia  and  three  children.    Soon  after 

Griffin,"  and  that — "A  purchase  of  land  was  immediately  made  from 
the  Indians  and  it  was  determined  that  all  the  land  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Delaware  from  the  point  called  Cape  Inlopen  or  Hinlopen 
(Delaware  Bay)  to  the  fall  called  vSantickan  (Trenton)  and  all  the 
country  inland  as  much  as  was  ceded  should  belong  to  the  Swedish 
crown  forever.  Posts  were  driven  into  the  ground  as  landmarks, 
which  were  still  seen  in  their  places  sixty  years  afterward.  A  deed 
was  drawn  up  for  the  land  thus  purchased.  This  was  written  in  the 
Dutch  because  no  Swede  was  yet  able  to  interpret  the  language  of 
the  heathen.  The  Indians  subscribed  their  hands  and  marks.  The 
writing  was  sent  home  to  Sweden  to  be  preserved  in  the  royal 
archives.  Maus  Kling  was  the  surveyor.  He  laid  out  the  land  and 
made  a  map  of  the  whole  river,  with  its  tributaries,  islands  and 
points  which  is  still  to  be  found  in  the  royal  archives  of  Sweden. 
Their  clergyman  was  Reorus  Torkillus  of  East  Gothland." 

The  Indians  sold  most  of  this  same  tract  to  the  Dutch  in  1651. 

We  learn  from  Gen.  W.  W.  H.  Davis  that  in  1670-71,  Richard 
Gorsuch  patented  a  considerable  tract  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
Bensalem  and  in  Philadelphia,  extending  from  the  Pennepack  Creek 
across  the  Poquessing  to  a  creek  that  the  Indians  called  Quiatcitunk. 
This  latter  creek  is  believed  to  be  identical  with  the  Neshaminy. 
Governor  Lovelace  of  New  York  dispossessed  Gorsuch  for,  in  1672, 
he  ordered  his  surveyor-general  to  clear  this  land  for  his  own  use. 

Penn  made  several  important  land  treaties  with  the  Indians.    That 


26  THE  HISTORY  OF 

this  we  find  the  name  of  Nicholas  Moore"^  mentioned  as 
having  taken  up  a  tract  of  land  containing  10,000  acres, 
and  which  embraced  the  manor  of  Mooreland,  which  has 
since  been  divided  into  Upper  and  Lower  Mooreland. 
We  also  find  the  names  of  Thomas  Knight,  half  brother 
to  Giles,  Samuel  Ellis,  Thomas  Groome,  Henry  English, 
Joseph  English,  William  Hibbs,  Walter  Forrest,  William 
Nichols  and  wife,  and  John  Gilbert,  Florence,  his  wife, 
and  their  son  Joseph.  Most  of  these  settled  in  Byberry  at 
once;  but  a  few  of  them  settled  in  the  adjacent  parts  of 
Bensalem,  and  afterwards  moved  over  the  creek.  Their 
names  frequently  occur  in  the  records  of  the  Society  of 
Friends  previous  to  1685.  Most  of  these  early  settlers 
took  up  large  tracts  of  land,  which  were  laid  ofif  in  the 
form  of  parallelograms,  frojn  forty  to  eighty  perches 
wide,  and  extending  in  a  northwesterly  direction  from  the 
Poquessing,  across  Byberry  to  near  the  road  now  the  By- 
berry  turnpike.  They  were  subject  to  innumerable  hard- 
ships in  their  attempts  to  settle  the  new  country,  some  of 

at  Kensington  was  not  for  the  purchase  of  land,  being  merely  a  treaty 
of  friendship.  On  June  23d,  1683,  a  treaty  was  made  for  the  pur- 
chase of  the  land  between  the  Pennypack  and  Neshaminy  Creeks. 
Another  treaty  was  made  on  June  7th,  1684.  On  that  day,  Metamicon 
sold  lands  on  each  side  of  the  Pennypack  Creek.  This  tract  em- 
braced a  part  of  Upper  Moreland.  In  July,  1685,  the  land  between 
the  Pennypack  and  Chester  Creeks  was  purchased.  In  1697  another 
and  larger  purchase  was  made  from  Taminy,  his  two  brothers  Sethi- 
mac  and  Weheeland  and  his  son  Wehequeekhon  and  his  other  sons 
Yaqueekhon  and  Quenamockquid  for  all  the  land  between  the  Penny- 
pack  and  Neshaminy  Creeks  and  extending  a  considerable  distance 
back  into  the  wilderness. 

"  Consult  Besse  for  an  account  of  John  Carver's  suffering  in  Eng- 
land. 

^  This  name  is  also  written  More  and  Moor. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  27^ 

them  dwelling  in  caves  or  excavations*  in  the  earth,  which 
the  Indians  taught  them  how  to  construct:  and  Giles 
Knight,  it  is  said,  lived  about  six  weeks  by  the  side  of  an 
old  log,  near  the  present  location  of  Knight's  mill-dam,* 
without  any  shelter  except  the  blue  canopy  of  heaven.. 
The  Indians  afterwards  taught  him  how  to  construct  a 
wigwam.,  which  Avas  erected  in  a  meadow  now  belonging 
to  Jacob  Eckfeldt,  where  he  resided  several  months,  and 
tmtil  he  built  a  log  house  near  the  location  of  the  present 
mansion.  The  intercourse  between  the  early  settlers  and 
the  Indians  was  of  the  most  friendly  kind,  and  they  lived 
together  like  brothers,  assisting  each  other  in  times  of  dis- 
tress, and  each  trying  to  outvie  the  other  in  their  en- 
deavors to  promote  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  all.  The 
Indians  seem  to  have  been  fully  sensible  of  the  honorable 
motives  of  the  settlers,  and  to  have  acted  accordingly  by 
welcoming  them  to  the  lands  they  had  purchased.  They 
taught  our  forefathers  how  to  construct  their  wigwams, 
build  canoes,  cultivate  corn,  beans,  pumpkins,  and  other 
vegetables;  and  in  return,  the  colonists  paid  the  Indians 
for  all  they  obtained,  and  uniformly  treated  them  with 
kindness.  Game  was  indeed  plenty ;  but  the  whites  knew 
not  how  to  capture  it;  and  the  streams  abounded  with 
the  most  excellent  fish,  which  required  only  the  trouble 
of  catching.  The  food  of  the  settlers  was  plain ;  and  often 
the  only  dish  they  could  offer  was  fish  and  pumpkins — 

*  These  caves  were  dug  in  the  ground  to  the  depth  of  about  three 
feet,  the  roofs  were  formed  of  timber,  limbs  of  trees,  etc.,  and  were 
usually  covered  with  sod  or  bark,  and  the  chimneys  were  built  of 
stone,  mortared  with  clay,  etc.  They  were  damp  and  gloomy  abodes, 
yet  served  to  protect  their  inmates  from  the  weather. 

*  This  property  now  belongs  to  Colonel  E.  D.  Morrell. 


28  THE  HISTORY  OF 

a  dish  which  would  not  be  very  palatable  to  the  people  of 
this  epicurean  age. 

At  certain  seasons,  however,  provisions  were  plenty. 
Wild  pigeons  were  in  such  great  abundance  that  they 
could  be  knocked  down  with  poles ;  and  as  the  settlers  be- 
came more  accustomed  to  hunting,  they  procured  plenty 
of  wild  turkeys,  some  of  which  weighed  from  thirty-five 
to  forty  pounds,  and  sold  as  low  as  one  shilling  each. 
Deer  were  killed  in  such  numbers  that  they  were  sold  for 
2S.  apiece.'^ 

With  all  these  natural  surroundings,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  such  a  beautiful  place  as  the  banks  of  the  romantic 
Poquessing  should  have  been  selected  for  a  settlement — 

"Where  homes  of  humble  form  and  structure  rude, 
Raised  sweet  society  in  Nature's  solitude." 

Although  the  rude  cabin  of  the  white  settler  dotted  the 
course  of  the  streams,  and  the  land  was  gradually  being 
reclaimed  from  its  uncultivated  state,  yet  the  wild  animals 
of  the  forest  still  lingered  around  the  settlements,  and  the 
fox's  bark,  the  panther's  cry,  or  wolf's  lugubrious  howl, 
often  broke  the  stillness  of  the  night,  and  Nature  reigned 
here  in  all  her  pristine  grandeur.  In  the  magnificent  beau- 
ties of  these  surrounding  solitudes,  doubtless,  our  tore- 
fathers  saw  much  to  draw  them  still  closer  to  the  Author 

"  Oldmixon,  who  visited  America  in  1708,  was  very  favorably  im- 
pressed with  the  colony  and  its  resources.  He  said  that  "Mr.  Pen's" 
account  of  the  country  was  too  conservative  rather  than  too  extrava- 
gant. 

Among  the  best  contemporary  accounts  of  the  resources  of  the 
colony  we  have  the  following:  Penn's  Letters  to  the  Free  Society 
of  Traders,  Thomas  Budd's  Account  of  the  Country,  Gabriel  Thomas' 
letters  and  John  Holme's  poem — The  True  Relation  of  the  Flourish- 
ing State  pf  Pennsylvania. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  29 

of  their  own  existences,  and  make  them  feel  their  utter 
dependence  upon  His  protecting  arm. 

In  those  early  times  the  settlers  labored  .under  all  the 
inconveniences  of  an  unsettled  country.  They  had  no 
flour-mills  to  grind  their  corn  or  wheat,  but  had  to  pound 
it  in  wooden  or  stone  mortars,  after  the  manner  of  the 
aborigines.  They  at  first  dwelt  in  damp  and  gloomy 
caves,  but  these  were  soon  given  up  for  the  greater  com- 
forts of  rude  cabins;  and  these,  again,  were  in  time  re- 
placed by  log-houses  covered  with  bark  or  thatched  with 
straw,  and  which  made  very  comfortable  dwellings,  yet 
would  contrast  strangely  with  the  edifices  of  modern 
times.  ^^ 

The  men  were'  at  first  dressed  in  the  skins  of  the  wild 
animals ;  but  in  a  short  time  the  women,  who  were  noted 
for  their  industry,  by  means  of  spinning  and  weaving, 
furnished  them  with  garments  more  in  accordance  with 
their  tastes.  Cattle  were  soon  introduced,  and  mush  and 
milk  became  a  favorite  dish.  To  this  was  added  honey 
from  the  wild  bees,  and  molasses  and  sugar  from  the 
sugar  maple  trees.  Horses  were  introduced  soon  after  the 
settlement,  and  the  comforts  and  conveniences  of  civilized 
life  were  thus  one  by  one  added  to  their  wilderness  homes. 

In  those  early  days,  however,  women  were  by  no  means 
numerous,  and  many  of  our  forefathers  had,  for  years 
after  they  first  arrived,  to  do  without  "heaven's  last,  best 
gift" — a  lovely  wife,  to  be  the  partner  of  all  their  toils,  to 
comfort  them  in  their  desolate  homes,  to  prepare  for  them 

"  The  custom  of  dwelling  in  artifically  constructed  caves  until  more 
permanent  dwellings  could  be  constructed,  was  not  alone  confined  to 
Byberry.  The  early  settlers  of  Philadelphia  lived  in  caves  dug  into 
the  banks  of  the  Delaware. 


30  THE  HISTORY  OF 

their  humble  fare,  and  welcome  them  with  untold  affec- 
tion to  their  rude  domestic  hearths.  The  sufferings  and 
hardships  attendant  upon  the  settlement  of  a  new  country- 
were  too  great  for  her  delicate  constitution;  and  the  ab- 
sence of  all  the  domestic  comforts,  as  found  in  her  British 
home,  effectually  precluded  her  leaving  her  kindred  for 
this  bleak  clime;  but  as  the  country  became  more  settled, 
and  comfort  after  comfort  was  added  to  the  condition  of 
those  early  settlers,  she  tore  herself  from  kindred  and  lov- 
ing friends,  braved  the  storms  of  the  billowy  deep,  and 
took  up  her  residence  in  the  wilds  of  Pennsylvania.  Oh, 
how"  joyfully  must  she  have  been  welcomed  by  those  hardy 
sons  of  toil,  the  early  pioneers ! 

During  the  scarcity  of  females,  few  were  left  unmar- 
ried, and  it  was  indeed  rare  to  find  one  still  single  who 
had  attained  to  the  age  of  twenty  years.  Those  that  were 
here  must  have  been  happy,  although  deprived  of  so  many 
comforts,  for  "wives  were  then  never  jealous  of  their  hus- 
bands," and  all  dwelt  together  in  the  greatest  harmony. 
The  children  were  generally  healthy;  the  active  life  which 
they  led,  and  the  plainness  of  their  fare,  made  their  cheeks 
glow  with  the  roseate  hue  of  health,  and  their  frames  be- 
came as  strong  and  robust  as  those  of  their  neighbors  and 
•companions,  the  hardy  sons  of  the  forest.  Then  nearly 
every  cabin  was  filled  with  a  lusty  race  of  those  who  were 
soon  to  reclaim  the  uncultivated  soil,  convert  it  into  fine 
fertile  farms,  and  help  to  rear  a  settlement,  where  th-e 
persecuted  of  every  clime  might  find  a  happy  refuge,  and 
where  all  might  dwell  together  in  unity  and  peace. 

The  Indians  welcomed  the  early  settlers  of  Byberry, 
-  and  were  ever    ready    and    willing  to    lend  their  white 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  3! 

neighbors  a  helping  hand  when  in  distress.  On  one  occa- 
sion, John  Carver  made  a  journey  to  Chester,  and  left 
his  family  with  provisions  which  he  thought  sufficient  to 
last  them  during  his  absence ;  but,  from  some  unforeseen 
circumstances,  he  was  detained  longer  than  was  expected, 
and  his  wife,  with  their  two  children,  was  reduced  to 
great  distress  for  want  of  food.  Under  these  circum- 
stances she  applied  to  a  party  of  neighboring  Indians  for 
assistance.  They  treated  her  with  much  kindness,  fur- 
nished her  with  some  provisions  to  relieve  her  immediate 
wants,  and,  taking  off  the  little  boys'  trousers,  tied  up  the 
legs  and  filjed  them  with  corn,  to  be  carried  home  for  a 
further  supply.  At  another  time,  Giles  Knight  and  Josiah 
Ellis  went  among  them  to  procure  some  beans  and  other 
vegetables;  these  were  kindly  furnished,  along  with  in- 
structions for  cultivating  them.  For  these  many  acts  of 
kindness  they  neither  asked  nor  received  any  recom- 
pense ;  they  were  satisfied  with  having  relieved  the  wants 
of  their  friends,  and  their  reward  was  the  sweet  consola- 
tion of  having  performed  a  charitable  act.  Many  other 
things,  equally  honorable  to  the  Indian  character,  might 
be  narrated,  for  the  friendly  intercourse  between  the 
whites  and  their  red  neighbors  was  never  so  far  broken  as 
to  cause  one  act  of  violence  to  be  committed  by  either 
party,  until  after  the  peaceful  principles  of  the  early  set- 
tlers were  forgotten. 

Before  the  first  settlers  left  England,  Penn  had  decided 
upon  founding  a  city  on  the  banks  of  the  noble  Delaware. 
Accordingly,  soon  after  their  arrival,  the  commissioners 
went  on  a  tour  up  that  beautiful  stream  in  order  to  fix 
upon  the  site  for  the  future  city.     Several  places  seem  to 


32  THE  HISTORY  OF 

have  attracted  their  attention,  and,  among  others,  that  in 
the  southern  part  of  Byberry,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Poques- 
sing,*  They  were  much  pleased  with  the  bold  shore  at 
this  spot,  and  had  nearly  concluded  to  found  here  the  city 
of  Brotherly  Love,  when,  having  in  their  minds  the  future 
greatness  of  the  city  they  were  about  to  found,  they 
wisely  concluded  that  a  greater  depth  of  water  in  the 
channel  was  advisable,  so  as  to  admit  the  passage  of  larger 
ships,  and  this  alone  determined  them  to  fix  it  where  it 
nov/  stands.  ^^ 

At  the  tim.e  of  the  first  settlement,  the  townships  of 
Byberry  and  Morcland  were  noted  hunting  grounds  of 
the  Indians ;  and  in  order  to  facilitate  securing  the  game, 
they  were  in  the  habit  of  setting  fire  to  the  rank  grass  that 
grew  indigenously  in  all  parts  of  the  townships,  and  thus 
destroyed  all  the  young  timber.  We  find,  as  proof  of  this, 
that  at  the  time  of  the  first  settlement  there  were  but  few 
large  trees,  scarcely  enough  to  furnish  firewood  for  the 
settlers,  and  that  the  division  lines  between  the  tracts  were 
made  by  means  of  embankments  and  ditches — some  of 

♦The  land  along  the  Poquessing  clear  to  the  river,  is  believed  to 
have  been  included  in  Byberry  at  the  time  of  the  first  settlement. 

"  It  was  perhaps,  not  so  much  the  depth  of  the  river  at  this  point, 
but  the  fact  that  there  are  a  number  of  dangerous  rocks  at  this  part 
of  the  river  known  as  "The  Hen  and  Her  Chickens"  that  prevented 
Philadelphia  from  being  located  on  the  present  site  of  Torresdale. 
Torresdale  used  to  be  pointed  out  to  passengers  aboard  the  river 
boats  as  "Old  Philadelphia." 

Thomas  Holme  had  laid  out  a  street  to  be  called  Susquehanna 
Street,  extending  due  west  to  the  Susquehanna  River.  It  began  near 
Torresdale  and  ran  along  the  side  of  the  Thomas  Holme  burying- 
ground  on  the  property  of  Murrell  Dobbins. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  33 

which  are  still  visible  J  ^  Soine  portions  in  the  southern 
part  were  under  cultivation  by  the  Indians,  but  the  north- 
ern parts  of  Byberry  and  the  whole  of  Moreland,  were 
covered  with  the  tall  grass.  The  settlers  did  not  burn  this 
off,  as  the  Indians  had  done,  and  in  a  few  years  the  whole 
surface,  except  where  cultivated,  was  covered  with  a 
growth  of  fine  timber.  Two  large  trees  are  mentioned  as 
having  stood,  one  on  the  lower  end  of  the  place  now  be- 
longing to  Watson  Comly,- "  and  the  other  about  Samuel 
Smedley's,^^  and  these  served  as  way-marks  for  the  peo- 
ple. It  is  said  that  Joseph  Knight,  who  was  brought  from 
England  in  1682,  at  tiie  age  of  two  years,  was  afterwards 
frequently  sent,  while  a  boy,  in  search  of  the  cows,  which, 
for  want  of  fences,  often  strayed  away,  and  that  when  he 
lost  his  way  he  would  ascend  some  eminence  and  look  out 
for  these  two  trees,  which  served  as  guides  to  direct  him 
home  again. 

The  first  houses  were  generally  erected  near  springs  or 
running  streams,  to  save  the  expense  and  trouble  of  dig- 
ging wells.  We  find  no  account  of  the  latter  having  been 
dug  for  several  years  after  the  first  settlement,  and  when 
first  introduced  they  occasioned  much  conversation  among 
the  settlers. 

Penn,  in  his  conditions  for  the  settlement  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, said  that  those  who  bought  shares  in  the  province 
could  have  five  thousand  acres  for  f  100  sterling,  but 

"These  division  ditches  may  still  be  noticed.  Such  a  ditch  may- 
be seen  in  the  wood  on  the  east  side  of  Mr.  Watson  Martindale's 
property.  Faint  traces  of  such  a  ditch  may  be  seen  on  the  Old  Hart 
Burial  Ground. 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Joseph  Buckman. 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Jonathan  Knight. 

3  '  .      'i 


34  THE  HISTORY  OF 

would  be  annually  subject  to  a  quit-rent  of  one  shilling, 
for  each  one  hundred  acres — the  quit-rent  not  to  begin 
until  1684.  On  this  account  the  land  of  the  whole  coun- 
try became  subject  to  a  quit-rent,  which  was  to  be  paid  to 
the  Proprietor,  or  his  legal  heirs,  and  which  continued  to 
be  paid  until  1775,  when  the 'Commonwealth  of  Pennsyl- 
A^ania  purchased  the  claims  for  580,000  dollars,  and  all 
iquit-rents  ceased. 

[1682.]  During  this  year  provisions  were  scarce  in  the 
<:olony,  and  the  best  divSh  that  could  be  set  before  visitors 
was  fish  and  pumpkins, — a  dish  to  most  of  us  rather  un- 
palatable. In  the  summer  a  good  supply  of  horses,  cows, 
sheep,  and  hogs  arrived  from  England,  which  were  soon 
followed  by  others,  so  that  in  a  few  years  enough  had 
arrived  to  stock  all  the  farms  and  furnish  food  for  the 
colonists. 

As  we  have  already  seen,  a  number  of  persons  arrived 
during  this  year  and  settled  in  B'yberry,  the  land  there 
having  been  taken  up  in  small  tracts  of  from  one  hundred 
to  five  hundred  acres  each.  In  the  manor  of  Moreland  the 
plan  was  difYerent,  for  the  whole  of  it  was  taken  up  by 
Nicholas  Moore,*^*^  a  prominent  attorney  of  London,  and 
being  held  by  him  until  his  death  in  1689,  we  find  no  men- 
tion of  any  other  persons  settling  in  that  township  pire- 
vious  to  that  time.  Moore  was  president  of  a  company 
called  **The  Free  Society  of  Traders  in  Pennsylvania," 
the  object  of  which  was  "to  purchase  lands  to  make  an 

♦William  Penn,  on  the  7th  of  Sixth  month,  1684,  conveyed  to 
"Nicholas  Moore  a  tract  of  land  in  Philadelphia,  containing  ten 
thousand  acres.  This  embraced  what  is  now  Moreland  in  Philadel- 
phia and  Montgomery  Counties. 

"  See  account  of  Nicholas  Moore  elsewhere. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  35 

agrictiltiiral  settlement,  to  establish  manufactures,  and 
carry  on  the  lumber  trade,  and  whale  fisheries."  He  came 
over  with  Penn,  in  1682,  and  was  chairman  or  speaker  ot 
the  first  Provisional  Assembly,  held  at  Chester,  on  the  4tn 
of  December  of  that  year.  He  was  a  man  of  superior 
abilities;  and  from  having  the  confidence  of  William 
Penn,  who  placed  him  in  the  most  responsible  positions  in 
the  colony,  his  name  is  identified  with  much  of  our  early 
history,  and  will  be  remembered  while  Moreland,  with  its 
fine  fertile  fields  and  happy  people,  continues  to  exist. 

[1683.]  Nearly  all  the  early  settlers  of  Byberry  were 
mxmbers  of  the  Society  of  Friends ;  and  one  of  their  first 
objects,  after  settling,  was  to  have  a  place  where  they 
could  meet  together  in  love  and  unity,  and  worship  the 
God  of  their  fathers  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  Tradition  says 
that  Friends  built  a  log  meeting-house  on  the  flat  lands 
belonging  to  John  Hart,  near  the  present  residence  of 
Wilmer  Canelle,^^  about  one  hundred  yards  northward 
from  the  junction  of  Poquessing  and  Byberry  Creeks,  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  township.  It  stood  on  the  west 
side  of  the  road  now  leading  to  the  Red  Lion.  It  is  said 
that  a  lot  adjoining  the  meeting-house  was  fenced  off  dur- 
ing this  year,  to  be  used  as  a  burying  ground  by  Friends, 
but  every  vestige  of  both  has  long  since  passed  away. 
Previous  to  this  two  of  Giles  Knight's  children  died,  and 
Avere  buried  on  his  own  land  near  the  Poquessing  Creek, 
"This  property  now  belongs  to  Colonel  E.  D.  Morrell. 


3^  THE  HISTORY  OF 

not  far  from  the  present  location  of  Knight's  mill-dam. ^^ 
In  the  Fifth  month  of  this  year,  at  a  Quarterly  Meeting 
of  Friends  in  Philadelphia,  ''It  was  then  and  there  agreed 
and  conclnded  that  there  be  established  a  First-day  meet- 
ing of  Friends  at  Tookany  and  Poetqiiessink,  and  that 
these  two  make  one  Monthly  Meeting,  men  and  women, 
for  ye  ordering  of  ye  affairs  of  ye  church."  The 
Monthly  Meeting  was  accordingly  held  alternately  at  the 
house  of  Sarah  Seary,^^  at  Oxford,  and  at  John  Hart's 
house, ^^  on  the  Poquessing.  Soon  after  this  meeting 
commenced,  a  lot  of  about  one  acre,  a  few  yards  north- 
ward of  Hart's  house,  on  the  rising  ground,  was  set  apart 
as  a  place  of  interment  for  Friends  and  others.*  This 
was  used  as  a  burying  place  for  all  the  settlers  until  the 
separation,  after  which  it  was  used  only  by  the  followers 
of  Keith.  Among  those  buried  in  this  ancient  cemetery 
were  Aurelia,  wiie  of  William  Rush,  in  1683;  Thomas 
Young,    1684;   Mary   Borman,    1685;  Joseph   English, 

"  This  property  is  also  in  the  possession  of  Colonel  E,  D.  Morrell. 

"  This  meeting  at  the  house  of  Sarah  Seary  seems  to  have  been  the 
forerunner  of  the  Frankford  Friends'  Meeting.  The  lot  for  this 
purpose  was  located  on  Wain  street,  opposite  Unity.  On  this  lot, 
which  consists  of  two  acres,  a  school  formerly  stood.  It  is  now  gone. 
A  fire  consumed  a  row  of  sheds,  which  formerly  surrounded  the 
meeting  on  three  sides.  The  burial  ground  is  now  nearly  filled.  The 
present  building  was  erected  in  1775.  According  to  local  tradition, 
bricks  were  imported  from  England.  In  the  yard,  stands  a  stone 
platform  from  which  ladies  formerly  mounted  their  horses.  Many  of 
the  early  records  of  this  meeting  have  been  lost. 

"  The  first  house  was  at  an  early  date  replaced  by  the  present  hip- 
ped roof  house.  The  property  belongs  to  Colonel  E.  D.  Morrell,  and 
is  located  on  the  west  side  of  the  Red  Lion  Hotel,  nearly  opposite  the 
hotel  of  that  name. 

♦John  Hart,  grandson  of  the  ancient  John   Hart,   in   1786,  be- 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  37 

1686;  Christopher  Growden,  Bensalem,  1687;  and  Wil- 
liam Rush,  1688. 

[1684.]  One  of  the  first  papers  issued  by  Byberry 
Monthly  Meeting',  on  the  Poquessing,  was  a  marriage  cer- 
tificate granted  to  James  Morris  and  Elizabeth  Buzby, 
who  formerly  belonged  to  Byberry,  but  who  had  lately 
removed  to  the  Falls  of  Delaware.  It  is  preserved  for  its 
antiquity,  and  is  as  follows : 

To  Friends  of  ye  Monthly  Meeting  about  ye  Falls  of 
Delaware,  in  ye  County  of  Bucks : 

Whereas,  James  Morris  and  Elizabeth  Buzby,  who  for- 
merly belonged  to  our  meeting,  did,  in  the  Seventh  month, 
appear  at  our  monthly  meeting  and  declare  their  inten- 
tions of  marriage,  and  they  did  produce  certificates  and 
testimony  sufficient  to  satisfy  us  of  their  clearness;  and 
after  deliberation  and  inquiry,  we  did  permit  them  to  pro- 
ceed to  accomplish  their  marriage.  But  so  yt  they  have 
been  from  us  absent,  we  are  informed  yt  they  belong  to 
your  meeting,  and  now  they  desire  a  certificate  from  us. 

These  are  to  certify  that  thus  far  they  have  proceeded, 
and  we  have  not  anything  against  ym  to  obstruct  ym  to 
your  meeting,  in  order  to  ye  accomplishing  their  mar- 
riage, and  we  remain  your  Friends  and  Brethren. 

At  our  Monthly  Meeting  at  John  Hart's  house,  Poet- 

qtieathed  this  ancient  cemetery  to  the  township  of  Byberry  in  the 
following  words :  "I  give  and  devise  to  the  overseers  of  the  poor  in 
the  township  of  Byberry,  in  the  county  of  Philadelphia,  who  shall  be 
such  at  the  time  of  my  decease,  and  to  their  successors,  forever,  a 
certain  burying  ground  lot  of  one  acre  of  land,  which  was  conveyed 
to  me  by  my  grandfather,  deceased,  the  same  to  be  occupied  as  a 
burying  ground  forever." 


38  THE  HISTORY  OF 

qiiessink  creek,  in  ye  county  of  Philadelphia,  ye  2d  of  ye 

4th  mo.,  1684. 

John  Carver,  Sam'l  Hart, 

Richard  Townsend,  Joseph  English, 

Henry  Waddy,  Ann  Townsend, 

Tho.  Kitchen,  Giles  Knight, 

Rich'd  Dungworth,  Will'm  Preston, 

Walter  Forrest,  Sam'l  Ellis, 

John  Hart,  Ann  Sessions, 

Dorothy  Dungworth. 

The  early  Friends  seem  to  have  felt  their  isolated  con- 
dition, living,  as  they  did,  in  the  wilds  of  Pennsylvania, 
with  but  few  persons  near  enough  to  be  called  neigh- 
bors, and  to  have  been  fully  sensible  of  their  dependence 
upon  each  other,  which  acted  like  a  chain  to  bind  them 
more  firmly  together  in  the  pure  bonds  of  love.  When 
a  misfortune  befell  one  of  the  neighbors,  all  were  ready 
with  their  services  or  their  means  to  relieve  their  wants, 
or  with  them  shed  the  sympathetic  tear.  The  records  of 
the  meeting  show  the  benevolence  of  those  early  settlers, 
whom,  although  living  a  life  of  penury  and  toil  them- 
selves, we  find  entering  into  an  agreement  to  pay  four 
shillings  per  week  for  the  support  of  William  Nichols, 
*'on  account  of  his  penury." 

[1685.]  It  would  seem  that  some  were  desirous  of 
having  a  larger  lot  of  gfround  for  a  cemetery  than  the 
one  at  John  Hart's,  for  in  this  year  a  minute  of  the 
Monthly  Meeting,  dated  5th  mo.  28th,  says :  "Friends  did 
freely  accept  of  ten  acres  of  land  gfiven  by  Walter  For- 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  39 

rest.^^  for  a  burying  place  for  the  service  of  Friends,  near 
Poetquessink  creek,  and  it  is  left  to  the  trust  and  care  of 
Joseph  Fisher,  John  Hart,  Samuel  Ellis  and  Giles  Knight, 
to  get  the  ground  conveyed,  the  deed  of  conveyance  to  be 
made  from  Walter  Forrest  to  themselves,  for  the  only  use 
and  behoof  of  Friends  forever,  and  that  from  henceforth 
it  shall  be  made  use  for  the  service  aforesaid."  As  no 
further  mention  of  this  donation  has  been  found,  it  is 
doubtful  whether  it  was  ever  applied  to  the  purpose  in- 
tended, and  its  location  cannot  now  with  certainty  be 
known.  It  is,  however,  probable  that  it  was  on  the  Po- 
quessing,  not  far  from  Thomas'  mill,  which  was  at  that 
time  owned  by  Forrest.  In  his  last  will  and  testament 
dated  ist  mo.  i8th,  1691-2,  P'orrest  bequeathed  a  mill 
and  lands  situated  in  the  township  of  Byberry,  one-half 
to  his  wife,  and  the  other  half  to  three  persons  named 
Albertson,  but  in  it  we  fmd  no  mention  made  of  the  ten 
acres. 

Although  the  Monthly  ]\Ieeting  of  Friends  at  Byberry 
had  been  held  at  John  Hart's  since  1683,  yet  the  weekly 
meetings  for  worship  continued  to  be  held  at  the  house 
of  Giles  Knight,-^  until  the  4th  month  of  this  year,  when 
the  Monthly  Meeting  ordered  it  to  be  removed  to  the 
house  of  John  Hart.  No  reason  is  assigned  for  this 
change  and  as  the  location  was  not  by  any  means  so  cen- 
tral as  when  held  at  Knight's,  it  is  probable  that  it  was 
through  the  influence  of  Hart,  who  was  then  the  leading 
Friend  in  Byberry.     It,  however,  shows  that  Friends 

'°  Walter   Forrest   owned   considerable   land   in  the   southeastern 
corner  of  Bensalem  along  the  Poquessing  Creek  and  Delaware  River. 

^  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Jacob  Eckfeldt. 


40  THE  HISTORY  OF 

would  then  rather  suffer  inconvenience,  than  disturb  the 
peace  and  harmony  of  the  Society. 

Some  time  during  the  summer  of  this  year,  Nicholas 
Moore  commenced  the  erection  of  a  mansion  in  the 
manor  of  Moreland,  at  a  place  he  called  Green 
Spring,  about  half  a  mile  west  of  the  present  village 
of  Somerton.  This  mansion  is  said  to  have  been 
far  superior  to  those  in  the  surrounding  country, 
and  to  have  been  built  in  correspondence  with  his 
official  dignity  as  Speaker  of  the  first  Assembly  of 
Pennsylvania.  The  house  was  near  a  spring  of  excellent 
water,  which,  as  it  trickled  away,  kept  the  grass  green 
along  its  banks,  hence  the  origin  of  its  name.  It  was  the 
first  house  erected  within  the  present  limits  of  Moreland. 
One  account  says,  "While  he  was  Chief  Justice,  he  erected 
a  courthouse  and  jail  near  his  residence  at  Green  Spring, 
where  those  who  disregarded  the  laws  were  tried,  and 
the  guilty  culprits  punished;  but  owing  to  the  general 
good  morals  of  the  inhabitants  the  jail  seldom  had  any 
inmates.  "22 

[1686.]  After  the  meetings  for  public  worship  were 
removed  to  John  Hart's  house,  the  distance  proved  too 
great  for  many  Friends  living  in  the  northern  parts  of 
the  township,  and  in  order  to  accommodate  them,  it  was 
decreed  that  a  meeting  be  held  once  a  month,  on  First 
days,  at  the  house  of  Henry  English,^^  so  that  two  meet- 
ings for  worship  were,  for  a  time,  held  in  Byberry.    The 

""It  is  not  likely  that  any  building  constructed  by  Nicholas  Moore 
at  Green  Spring  could  be  dignified  by  the  name  of  court-house  or 
jail.  He  may,  however,  have  conducted  a  species  of  magistrate's  court 
here  and  he  may  have  used  some  of  his  out-buildings  as  a  jail. 

'■"  This  farm  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Alfred  Buckman. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  4I 

localities  of  these  meetings  appear  to  have  been  unsatis- 
factory, and  frequent  changes  were  the  result.  In  this 
year,  at  the  Quarterly  Meeting  of  Friends,  it  was  agreed 
that  a  Monthly  Meeting  should  be  held  at  Byberry,  Ox- 
ford and  Cheltenham,  "in  course,"  the  last  week  in  each 
month,  and  on  the  days  of  the  respective  weekly  meetings, 
that  at  Byberry  coming  on  Fourth  day.  The  time  and 
place  for  this  meeting  were  not  satisfactory,  and  it  was 
agreed,  during  the  First  month  of  the  next  year, 
to  hold  the  monthly  meetings  at  the  house  of 
^'-'  Richard  Worrel,  Jr.,  and  the  time  of  meeting 
was  changed  to  the  last  Second  day  of  each  and  every 
month,  to  which  place  it  was  accordingly  soon  after  re- 
moved. 

From  this  time  until  1691  the  accounts  preserved  are 
very  meagre.  A  few  new  settlers  arrived  from  England, 
and  the  condition  of  those  who  were  already  here  was 
gradually  improving.  There  appears  to  have  been  a  recip- 
rocal exercise  of  friendl}^  feelings  and  good  understand- 
ing among  them,  and  through  the  blessings  of  Divine 
Providence  upon  their  industry  and  prudent  management, 
their  temporal  affairs  were  daily  improving,  and  cheer- 
ing prospects  of  untold  wealth  were  opening  around 
them.  The  young  men  who  came  over  in  a  state  of  single 
blessedness  had  taken  to  them  affectionate  partners,  and 
settled  on  the  fine  lands  in  the  township,  and  large  fam- 
ilies of  loving  children  were  growing  up  around  them, 
so  that  but  little  was  wanted  to  fill  up  their  measure  of 
happiness,  and  make  their  condition  as  desirable  as  could 
reasonably  be  expected  to  fall  to  the  lot  of  mortals;  but 
earthly  enjoyments,  like  all  other  earthly  things,  must 


42  THE  HISTORY  OF 

find  an  end,  and  we  learn  that  difficulties  and  dissensions 
began  to  spring  up  in  the  colony,  and,  by  the  year  1691, 
had  increased  to  such  an  extent  as  to  involve  nearly  the 
whole  of  the  inhabitants  in  a  bitter  discussion  of  religious 
principles.  This  was  not  confined  to  Byberry,  but  spread 
all  over  Pennsylvania,  and  involved  the  Society  of  Friends 
in  much  trouble.  These  dissensions  appear  to  have  origi- 
nated through  the  agency  of  George  Keith,  who  then 
resided  in  Philadelphia.  He  had  been  an  emi- 
-^  '^  nent  minister  and  writer,  and  being  a  man  of 
extensive  learning,  had  gained  ?nany  follovv^ers.  Pie  de- 
sired to  make  some  radical  changes  in  the  discipline  and 
the  doctrines  held  by  the  Society,  which  they  were  not 
willing  to  adopt.  He  was,  therefore,  warned  of  his  con- 
duct by  some  Friends,  which  was  not  well  received,  and 
he  Anally  withdrew  from  the  Society.  After  this,  a  . lecla- 
ration  was  issued  by  his  supporters  in  his  favor,  who 
then  proceeded  to  disown  those  who  testified  against  him. 
Such  was  the  influence  exerted,  that  they  gained  the 
ascendency  in  sixteen  out  of  thirty-two  meetings.  In 
Byberry,  the  leading  advocate  of  Keith  and  his  doctrines 
was  John  Hart,  who  owned  a  tract  of  land  containing 
four  hundred  and  eighty-four  acres  in  the  southern  part 
of  Byberry,  and  was  in  respectable  circumstances.  He 
had  been  several  times  elected  a  member  of  the  Assembly, 
and  is  described  as  having  been  a  man  of  rank,  character, 
and  reputation,  and  to  have  been  an  eminent  preacher. 
He  early  embraced  the  views  held  by  Keith,  and  from 
his  influence  and  connections,  drew  the  Rushes,  Colletts, 
and  the  most  of  those  living  in  the  southern  part  of  By- 
berry to  his  support.    The  burial  ground  was  on  his  farm, 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  43 

and  the  house  for  worship  near  his  residence,  so  that,  on 
account  of  these  difficulties,  Friends  were  induced  to  with- 
draw from  the  Meeting,  and  afterwards  assembled  at  the 
house  of  Henry  English. 

Those  who  remained  at  the  old  meeting  were  John 
Hart,  John  Rush,  Nathaniel  Walton,  and  Richard  Col- 
lett,  with  their  families,  and  some  others  by  the  name  of 
Johnson,  Jackson,  and  Foster.  Those  who  seceded  are 
mentioned  as  Giles  Knight,  John  Carver,  Daniel  Walton,. 
Thomas  Walton,  William  Walton,  Henry  English,  Thom- 
as Knight,  John  Gilbert,  William  Hibbs,  John  Brock, 
Thom.as  Groome,  and  others. 

The  Keithian  meeting  appears  to  have  been  unsuccess- 
ful, and  after  two  or  three  years  it  was  broken  up — the 
adherents  joining  other  religious  persuasions.  Some  be- 
came Episcopalians,  and  assisted  in  founding  a  church 
called  "All  Saints',"  in  Lower  Dublin;  while  others,  be- 
coming Baptists,  but  retaining  the  dress  and  language 
of  the  Quakers,  were  called  Quaker  Baptists.^^  Some  of 
these  again  changed  into  Seven-day  Baptists,  and  were 
the  originators  of  that  sect. 

Notwithstanding  the  long  term  of  controversy  and  dis- 
cord through  which  the  infant  Meeting  had  just  passed, 
it  still  continued  to  survive,  and  soon  outgrew  all  its 
troubles.  As  Friends  had  seen  fit  to  withdraw  from 
Hart's  meeting,  they  did  not  feel  willing  to  bury  their 
deceased  Friends  in  the  cemetery  on  his  farm ;  therefore, 
we  find  that  Henry  English,  one  of  the  most  prominent 

"*John  Hart  became  a  Baptist  and  was  instrumental  in  founding 
the  Southampton  Baptist  Church.  He  afterward  removed  to  South- 
ampton Township,  where  he  owned  land.  (See  account  of  John  Hart 
elsewhere) . 


44  THE  HISTORY  OF 

members  remaining  with  the  Society,  did,  on  the  2nd  of 
the  I  St  month,  give  one  acre  of  land  to  John  Carver  and 
Daniel  Walton,  in  trust  for  Friends.  The  deed  specifies 
that  ''the  said  one  acre  is  for  the  use  of  the 
^  ^  -^  people  of  God,  called  Quakers,  who  are  and 
shall  be  and  continue  in  unity  and  religious  fellowship 
with  Friends  of  Truth,  and  shall  belong  to  the  Monthly 
Meeting  of  said  people,  for  whose  use  the  said  piece  of 
ground  is  intended  to  be  employed  as  a  burying-place, 
and  to  no  other  use  or  service  whatsoever;  provided  al- 
ways, that  it  is  the  true  intent  and  meaning  of  the  parties 
hereunto,  that  no  person  or  persons  who  shall  be  declared 
by  the  members  of  the  Monthly  or  Quarterly  Meeting, 
whereunto  he  or  she  shall  belong,  to  be  out  of  unity  with 
them,  shall  have  any  right  or  interest  in  said  piece  of 
ground  hereby  granted,  while  he  or  she  shall  remain  out 
of  unity  and  church  fellowship  wnth  those  people  to  whom 
he  or  they  did  so  belong."  Tt  seems  quite  singular  that 
this  insrrument  should  confine  the  use  of  said  piece  of 
land  to  a  *''burying-place,"  as  a  meeting-house  was  badly 
needed  at  that  time;  and  shortly  afterw^ards.  with  the  full 
consent  of  the  donor,  a  meeting-house  w^as  erected  there- 
on. Jt  was  built  of  logs,  ridged  and  notched  at  the  cor- 
ners, chinked  with  mud,  and  according  to  the  custom  of 
the  times,  covered  with  bark.  It  stood  in  the  northern 
corner  of  the  present  site  of  the  old  graveyard,  and  was 
the  origin  of  the  present  Friends'  Meeting.  Here,  in  this 
humble  structure,  scarcely  sufficient  to  shield  its  inmates 
from  the  weather,  did  our  forefathers  meet  to  manifest 
their  devotion  and  gratitude  to  a  bountiful  Providence 
for  the  many  favors  which  they  were  daily  receiving.    It 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  45 

was  a  rude  structure,  but  served  as  the  only  place  for 
worship  during  the  next  twenty  years. 

The  most  noted  members  of  the  Meeting  at  this  time 
were  John  Duncan,  John  Brock,  William  Beale,  Thomas 
Scott,  and  Abel  Hingstone,  in  Byberry  or  adjoining  part 
of  Bensalem.  About  the  same  time,  we  find  the  name 
of  Thomas  Groome,  as  having  settled  near  Somerton; 
and  the  names  John  Cross,  John  Tibby,  John  Hybert,. 
Nicholas  Williams,  Nicholas  Tucker,  Nathan  Watamore, 
and  William  Carver,  as  residents  of  the  township. 

[1695.]  The  Meeting  seems  to  have  been  on  a  firmer 
basis  than  at  any  previous  time,  and  the  members  were 
much  concerned,  not  only  for  the  welfare  of  each  other, 
but  that  the  youth  might  be  preserved  in  the  Truth.  The 
Yearly  Meeting,  held  at  Burlington,  N.  J.,  in  1694,  re- 
commended that  four  Friends  be  appointed  to  have  charge 
of  the  youth  l^elonging  to  the  Society,  and  in  2d  mo.  of 
this  year,  John  Carver,  of  Byberry,  was  appointed  one  of 
the  four  for  that  purpose.  It  appears  that  some  Friends 
of  those  days  did  not  observe  the  golden  rule,  and  the 
Meeting,  feeling  the  necessity  of  having  a  closer  oDserv- 
ance  of  the  principles  and  customs  of  the  Society,  appoin- 
ed  in  the  12th  mo.,  John  Carver  and  John  Brock,  "to 
admonish  those  that  profess  God's  truth  and  do  not  walk 
answerable  thereto."  This  was  the  origin  of  the  appoint- 
ment of  overseers*  in  Byberry  Meeting,  a  custom  con- 

*  Those  appointed  to  act  in  this  capacity  from  this  time  to  1740, 
were  John  Brock,  Abel  Hingstone,  William  Beale,  Thomas  Groome» 
John  Carver,  Everard  Bolton,  John  Duncan,  Henry  Comly,  John 
Carver,  2d,  Thomas  Knight,  son  of  Giles,  Edmond  Dunkin,  Thomas 
Walton,  William  Dunkin,  George  James,  Jonathan  Knight,  Joseph 
Gilbert,  and  Evan  Thomas. 


46  THE  HISTORY  OF 

tinued  to  the  present  time.  The  great  concern  of  Friends 
seems  to  have  been  "to  watch  over  each  other  for  good, 
and  to  build  each  other  up  in  that  most  holy  faith  which 
works  by  love  to  the  purifying  of  the  heart." 

In  the  early  part  of  this  year  some  of  the  Gilberts 
settled  in  Byberry.  In  the  4th  mo.,  1685,  Thomas  Holme, 
the  surveyor-general,  obtained  a  patent  for  six  hundred 
acres  of  land  in  Byberry,  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Po- 
quessing,  and  in  the  same  year  sold  it  to  Nicholas  Rideout. 
On  the  19th  of  12th  mo.,  1695,  John  Gilbert  purchased 
the  said  tract  of  land  of  Rideout,  and  having  sold  about 
one-half  of  it  to  John  Carver,  divided  the  remainder  be- 
tween his  two  sons,  Samuel  and  Joseph,  who  settled  on  it. 
These  were  the  first  of  that  name  we  have  met  with  resid- 
ing in  Byberry. 

Affairs  in  Moreland  began  to  assume  a  different  aspect 
about  this  time.  Nicholas  Moore,  who  had  been  in  deli- 
cate health  almost  from  his  arrival  in  America,  died  at 
his  mansion,  in  Moreland,  in  1689.  During  his  life  he 
retained  possession  of  all  his  property,  but  it  was  much 
incumbered  at  the  time  of  his  decease.  His  creditors, 
among  whom  was  John  Holmes,^^  on  23d  of  April,  1695, 
presented  a  petition  to  Council  to  have  the  accounts  of 
the  said  Nicholas  Moore  examined,  when  it  was  found 
that  the  estate  was  indebted  to  different  individuals  to  the 
sum  of  upwards  of  £270  sterling.  The  Council,  there- 
fore, empowered  John  Holmes  to  sell  the  plantation  and 
manor  house  at  Green  Spring,  and  such  lands  and  im- 

"John  Holmes  was  not  related  to  Thomas  Holme,  although  he 
settled  on  a  portion  of  Thomas  Holme's  tract  of  1646  acres  in  Lower 
Dublin. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  47 

provements  in  other  parts  of  Moreland  as  might  be  suf- 
ficient to  pay  all  his  just  debts,  educate  his  surviving 
children,  and  provide  for  the  improvement  of  the  re- 
mainder of  the  estate.  Soon  after  this,  in  the  same  year, 
the  mansion  house,  together  with  six  hundred  acres  of 
land,  was  accordingly  sold  at  public  sale.  It  was  pur- 
chased by  Henry  Comly,  of  Middletown,  Bucks  County, 
who,  in  1704,  erected  a  mansion  thereon,  which  is  yet 
standing,  and  is  the  oldest  house*  in  Moreland.  In  the 
year  1701  or  '2,  portions  of  this  estate  were  sold  in  lots 
to  suit  purchasers,  and  the  population  soon  began  to  in- 
crease.   No  account  of  these  sales  has  been  met  with.^^ 

[170 1.]  It  was  agreed  in  the  Monthly  Meeting,  "that 
a  Preparative  Meeting  be  established  at  Byberry,  to  be 
held  on  the  weekly  meeting  day  that  happeneth  next  be- 
fore the  Monthly  Meeting,  and  that  those  Friends  that 
are  appointed  as  overseers  to  attend  that  service."  This 
was  the  origin  of  the  Preparative  Meeting  at  Byberry,  and 
it  commenced  soon  afterwards,  although  no  records  of  its 
proceedings  have  been  found  previous  to  1721. 

In  the  fore  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  the  children 
of  the  early  settlers  were  entering  upon  the  stage  of  active 
life.  They  w^re  noted  for  their  strength,  activity,  and 
vigor;  and  had  been  brought  up  accustomed  to  many 

*  This  house  has,  at  different  times  since,  had  additions  and  altera- 
tions made  to  it,  which  have  entirely  changed  its  appearance.  It  has 
remained  in  the  possession,  and  been  the  residence  of  descendants 
of  the  family  of  that  name  ever  since,  until  the  death  of  the  late 
occupant,  Franklin  Comly,  Esq.,  in  i860,  when  it  passed  into  the 
hands  of  his  son-in-law,  Moses  ICnight. 

■■'*'  Henry  Comly,  son  of  the  original  Henry  Comly  of  Bucks  county, 
purchased  this  tract  indirectly  through  his  father-in-law  Robert 
Heaton  in  1697. 


48  THE  HISTORY  OF 

hardships,  and  inured  to  a  life  of  toil.  They  were  expert 
at  hunting  wild  turkeys,  bears,  and  raccoons,  and  many 
of  them  had  acquired  considerable  reputation  in  that  busi- 
ness. .They  could  use  the  axe,  the  grubbing-hoe,  the 
spade,  and  the  sickle,  and  prided  themselves  in  so  doing. 
Then  all  the  grain  was  reaped  with  sickles,  and  there  was 
frequently  some  strife  among  them  as  to  who  was  the  best 
reaper.  In  all  trials  of  this  kind  Joseph  Gilbert  is  said  to 
have  carried  off  the  palm,  and  was  acknowledged  the  best 
reaper  in  the  whole  country.  Upon  one  occasion  a  man 
came  from  New  Jersey  to  try  him,  but  yielded  the  contest 
long  before  night.  The  women,  also,  frequently  engaged 
in  outdoor  work,  and  some  of  them  were  excellent  hands. 
In  those  days  the  grain  was  generally  stacked  and  all  the 
threshing  was  done  with  flails.  But  few  barns  were  then 
to  be  found,  and  these  few  were  made  of  logs,  and  thatch- 
ed with  straw.  They  were  generally  small,  without  any 
floors,  and  sufficed  only  for  a  shelter  for  some  of  the  stock. 
Wagons  had  not  yet  been  introduced,  and  sleds  were  used 
for  hauling  grain  to  the  stacks  and  barns.  When  it  was 
threshed  and  ready  for  market,  if  the  ground  was  not 
covered  with  snow,  it  was  carried  on  the  backs  of  horses 
to  the  mills  on  the  Pennypack  or  Poquessing  Creeks. 
This  was  the  custom  until  the  introduction  of  carts,  sev- 
eral years  afterwards.  The  harness  was  all  of  home  man- 
ufacture, the  collars  being  made  of  straw  or  calamus  tops,, 
and  the  traces  and  lines  of  hemp  or  flax. 

Some  thirty-five  or  forty  years  had  already  passed 
away,  and  the  land  so  destitute  of  timber,  at  first,  was  now 
covered  with  a  growth  of  thrifty  chestnut,  oak,  hickory, 
maple,  ash,  etc.    As  timber  became  more  plenty,  the  set- 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  49 

tiers  began  to  divide  their  farms  by  means  of  fences  in- 
stead of  ditches.  Many  of  the  young  men  became  expert 
at  chopping  wood  and  splitting  rails ;  and  it  is  said,  on  one 
occasion,  that  Job  Walton  split  three  thousand  six  hun- 
dred rails  in  one  week,  the  logs  being  cut  off  for  him. 
This  was  a  large  week's  work,  and  few  of  our  rail-split- 
ters of  this  day  can  beat  it.  Fencing,  however,  was  not 
universal  at  that  time,  and  some  preferred  to  dig  ditches 
and  plant  privet  (Ligustrum  vulgare)  hedges,  in  order  to 
inclose  their  farms.  These  hedges  answered  the  purpose 
very  well,  and  presented  an  effectual  barrier  against  the 
encroachments  of  cattle  and  wild  beasts.  They  gave  the 
farms  a  pleasing  appearance,  particularly  when  in  blossom ; 
and  when  the  berries  were  ripe  they  afforded  food  for 
multitudes  of  w^ild  pigeons,  thousands  of  which  were 
killed  by  the  settlers.  It  is  said  these  hedges,  from  some 
unknown  cause,  nearly  all  died  a  few  years  previous  to  the 
Revolution,  and  have  never  been  in  general  use  since. 

We  have  met  with  no  accounts  of  any  schools  previous 
to  1 7 10.  The  children  of  the  first  settlers  were  brought 
up  with  a  very  limited  chance  of  obtaining  an  education, 
and  many  of  them  were  unable  to  read  or  even  to  write 
their  own  names.  In  this  year  it  appears  that  Richard 
Brockdon  commenced  a  school  at  Byberry,  but 
^  ^  '^  did  not  continue  there  more  than  a  year,  as  the 
Meeting  records,  in  171 1,  mention  the  application  of 
Richard  Brockdon,  late  schoolmaster  at  Byberry,  for  a 
certificate  to  return  to  England.  He  was  succeeded  by 
William  Davis,  who  remained  until  171 7,  and  then  re- 
moved to  New  Jersey.  After  this  we  find  mention  of 
John  Watmore,  Roger  Bragg,  John  Pear,  and  Walter 
4 


50  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Moore,  as  teachers  in  Byberry  previous  to  1753.     The 
school  was  poorly  conducted,  and  a  want  of  interest  in  the 
great  cause  of  education,  in  those  having  charge  of  the 
schools,  seems  to  have  been  the  great  fault. 
-  Some    time    during   this    year,    Giles    Knight 

'•  ^  '^  erected  a  bolting  mill  on  the  small  stream  of 
water  passing  through  his  meadow,  lately  owned  by 
Nancy  Walton.^ ^  No  flour  was  made  at  this  mill,  but  the 
people  took  their  grain  to  Pennepack  or  Poquessing  mills, 
and,  when  it  was  ground,  hauled  it  to  Giles  Knight's  to 
have  it  bolted. 

About  this  time  we  find  among  the  early  settlers  of 
Moreland  the  name  of  William  Roberts,  Albertson  Wal- 
ton, William  Tillyer,  Henry  Comly,  Nicholas  Moore,  Jr., 
John  Blackford,  Joseph  Mitchell,  Jonathan  Comly, 
Richard  Marple,  and  Derrick  Krewson.^^ 

[1714.]  The  old  log  meeting-house  in  Byberry,  being 
no  longer  tenable,  in  this  year  a  new  house  was  erected 
on  the  acre  given  by  English.  It  was  a  few  feet  to  the 
east  of  the  old  one,^^  was  built  of  stone,  thirty-five  by 
fifty  feet,  two  stories  high,  with  arched  ceilings,  and 
double  doors  in  front.  It  had  large  windows,  with  small 
lights  of  glass  set  in  a  leaden  sash  attached  to  a  wooden 

"  Benjamin  Duffield  moved  into  Moreland  sometime  between  1682 
and  1685. 

^  This  mill  was  located  on  property  now  owned  by  Edward  Shall- 
cross. 

**  The  second  meeting  was  located  near  a  well  which  was  once  used 
for  school  purposes.  It  was  afterward  covered  with  timbers  and  soil. 
About  sixty  years  ago  some  hogs  rooted  the  soil  away  and  exposed 
the  well.  It  was  then  covered  with  a  thicker  layer  of  earth.  The  old 
well  may  be  located  by  the  sound  heard  when  stamping  the  foot 
over  it. 

From  John  Watson,  we  learn  that  the  sash  were  hung  on  hinges, 
that  these  sash  were  of  lead  and  that  they  were  filled  with  the  luxury, 
glass. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  5 1 

frame,  which  was  hung  on  hinges  so  as  to  open  and  close, 
and  was  without  shutters.  The  gable  ends  of  this  house 
were  not  carried  to  a  point,  but  from  about  midway  of  the 
rafters,  another  roof  from  each  end  was  carried  up  to  meet 
the  main  one.  This  was  the  style  of  building  at  that  early 
day.  The  plan  for  warming  this  building  was  not  by  any 
means  as  complete  as  that  now  in  use,  for  it  is  stated  that 
the  only  means  devised  for  warming  it  was  by  a  fireplace 
in  the  west  end,  on  the  outside  of  the  building  and  com- 
municating with  an  artificial  stove,  formed  of  cast  iron 
plates,  through  which  the  heat  was  communicated  to  the 
room.  The  men  warmed  themselves  before  going  in,  and 
the  women  occupied  the  end  next  to  the  fire.  In  order  to 
complete  this  house,  Friends  borrowed  £50  of  James 
Cooper,  which  was  paid  off  by  subscription,  in  1723. 

[1720.]  About  this  time  such  things  as  fortune-telling, 
astrology,  etc.,  were  in  considerable  repute,  and  many  of 
the  settlers,  even  the  most  respectable,  frequently  resorted 
to  them.  Most  Friends  seem  to  have  been  in  advance  of 
the  age  in  which  they  lived,  for  they  not  only  bore  testi- 
mony against  these  things  as  great  evils,  but  dealt  with 
some  of  their  members  for  "meddling  in  predicting  by 
astrology,"  etc.  During  this  age  of  superstition  many 
Friends  were  awakened  to  a  just  sense  of  the  value  and 
importance  of  properly  educating  their  youth,  and  the 
Meeting  was  soon  impressed  with  the  necessity  of  erecting 
a  suitable  building  for  school  purposes.  Accordingly,  in 
this  year,  we  find  a  school-house  was  erected  near  the 
meeting-house.  It  was  a  log  building  about  eighteen  feet 
square.  Here  in  this  humble  structure  many  of  our  early 
ancestors  were  educated ;  and  it  is  probable  that  the  oppor- 


52  THE  HISTORY  OF 

tunities  for  acquiring  an  education  were  much  better  after 
the  erection  of  the  building  than  they  had  been  before,  as 
those  who  were  educated  about  this  time  were  generally 
spoken  of  as  possessing  considerable  literary  qualifica- 
tions, and  their  autographs,  as  found  in  some  of  the  old 
papers,  certainly  would  not  suffer  any  disparagement  if 
compared  with  many  of  the  present  day.  No  further  ac- 
count of  this  school-house  has  been  found.  Some  time 
previous  to  this  a  few  houses  had  been  built  near  each 
other  in  the  eastern  part  of  Moreland;  and  as  the  place 
began  to  assume  more  the  appearance  of  a  village,  it  was 
called  Smithfield,  the  name  of  which  has  since  been  dis- 
carded for  that  of  Somerton.  About  this  time  it  con- 
tained ten  buildings,  among  which  were  a  store,  a  tavern, 
and  a  blacksmith  shop,  about  half  of  which  was  situated 
in  Byberry.  This  is  the  first  account  we  have  found  of 
this  village,  and  the  time  of  its  foundation  cannot  now 
with  any  certainty  be  knov/n. 

The  houses,  and  indeed  all  the  buildings  erected  by  the 
settlers  previous  to  this  time,  were  with  but  few  excep- 
tions formed  of  logs.  They  were  rudely  constructed  tene- 
ments, being  scarcely  sufficient  to  shield  their  inmates 
from  the  rigors  of  the  climate;  but  in  them  our  fore- 
fathers dwelt  in  peace  and  contentment,  and  seemed  to 
enjoy  life  quite  as  much  as  most  of  us  in  this  more  pro- 
gressive age.  The  houses  were  but  one  story  high,  with 
hipped  roofs ;  and  the  room  used  for  cooking  contained  a 
large  fireplace,  in  which  a  fine  blazing  fire  was  kept  during 
the  cold  weather  of  winter.  In  these  large  quantities  of 
wood  were  consumed,  often  as  much  as  ten  to  fifteen  cords 
in  one  season,  but  as  timber  was  plenty,  and  required  only 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  53 

the  trouble  of  cutting,  but  little  economy  was  exhibited 
in  its  use.  These  fireplaces  were  large  enough  to  allow 
a  person  to  sit  on  each  side  of  the  blazing  fire,  and  those 
favored  spots  were  generally  occupied  by  the  heads  of  the 
family,  while  the  children  hovered  around  in  front  in 
order  to  keep  warm. 

Farming  was  carried  on  in  a  rude  and  slovenly  man- 
ner; the  implements  were  but  poorly  suited  to  their  de- 
signed uses,  and  mtich  of  the  fertility  of  the  soil  had  been 
exhausted  by  continued  farming,  no  pains  being  taken  to 
make  or  apply  manure  so  as  to  produce  better  crops.  The 
dress  of  both  male  and  female  vras  of  homespun,  which 
was  manufactured  by  the  "busy  housewife"  of  that  day. 
During  the  summer  it  was  customary  for  all  classes  to  go 
barefoot,  except  on  First  days,  when  going  to  meeting; 
the  shoes,  however,  were  taken  off  as  soon  as  they  arrived 
at  home,  and  put  away  for  a  similar  occasion.  In  going 
to  market  the  men  seldom  wore  shoes,  and  even  the  wo- 
men did  not  think  it  necessary  to  hide  their  feet  and 
ankles,  and  were  not  troubled  with  such  scandal  as  would 
be  showered  upon  them  for  so  doing  at  the  present  day. 

Game  had  annually  been  growing  more  scarce;  and 
most  of  the  wild  animals,  such  as  deer,  wild  turkeys, 
panthers,  and  wolves,  had  become  scarce.  Previous  to 
this  time  (1720)  the  latter  animals  had  been  trouble- 
some to  the  settlers  by  destroying  their  sheep  and  hogs, 
so  that  they  had  to  be  carefully  secured  in  strong  pens 
every  night,  or  in  the  morning  some  would  surely  be 
missing. 

Smaller  animals,  such  as  wild-cats,  foxes,  raccoons, 
etc.,  were  still  plenty,  and  the  flocks  of  poultry  often  suf- 


54  THE  HISTORY  OF 

fered  from  their  depredations.  Squirrels,  partridges, 
pheasants,  etc.,  were  very  abundant,  notwithstanding  the 
severity  of  the  winters,  and  thousands  of  them  were  an- 
nually killed  to  furnish  food  for  the  settlers.  Deer  and 
bears  were  sometimes  killed  and  furnished  food  for  the 
family  of  the  fortunate  hunter,  but  at  this  time  such  things 
were  not  common. 

[172 1.]  The  earliest  records  of  the  Byberry  Prepara- 
tive Meeting,  which  have  escaped  the  destructive  hand  of 
time,  bear  the  date  of  2d  month  i8th.  These  are  made 
up  almost  entirely  of  the  pecuniary  matters  of  the  Society, 
being  accounts  of  subscriptions  for  raising  money  for  the 
necessary  expenses  of  the  Meeting,  and  for  maintaining 
the  poor.  The  charge  for  tending  the  meeting-house  was 
only  twenty  shillings  per  annum,  and  this  continued  to 
be  the  price  paid  for  several  years  thereafter.  John  Car- 
ver is  mentioned  as  the  clerk  at  that  time.  He  appears  to 
have  given  good  satisfaction,  as  he  was  continued  until 
1740,  when  he  requested  the  Meeting  to  appoint  some  one 
in  his  place.  About  this  time  African  slavery  was  first 
introduced  into  Byberry  by  the  more  opulent  settlers,  as 
help  for  the  rougher  parts  of  the  work  indoors  and  out. 
They  were  mostly  brought  directly  from  Africa  to  Phila- 
delphia, but  some  were  brought  from  Long  Island.  In 
1727,  in  an  inventory  of  the  property  of  a  deceased 
Friend,  the  following  items  occur :  "One  negro  ^irl,  £20 ; 
one  negro  boy,  £30;"  and  again,  in  1743,  are  these:  "A 
negro  woman,  Phillis,  £20;  and  one  negro  boy,  Wallis, 
£14."  These  give  us  an  idea  of  the  value  of  slaves  at 
that  time.30 

*•  Slavery  existed  in  Pennsylvania,  according  to  Gen.  W.  W.  H. 
Davis,  as  early  as  1636.    During  the  early  days  of  the  colony,  the  in- 


'  BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  55 

The  following  list  of  names  are  found  in  the  records 
of  1 72 1,  as  subscribers  for  maintaining  the  poor  belong- 
ing to  Byberry  Preparative  Meeting : 

John  Donkon,  Thos.  Walton, 

Joseph  Gilbert,  Giles  Knight, 

Wm.  Carver,  Edm'd  Donkon, 

George  James,  Abel  Hingstone, 

i        Thomas  Knight,         Thomas  Walton, 
r       John  Carver,  Sam.  Scott, 

Thos.  Knight,  Jr.,  Jonathan  Knight, 
John  Worthington,  Henry  Comly. 
[1725.]  From  the  above  records  we  learn  that  Friends 
were  very  willing  to  assist  each  other,  and  we  find  that 
"superscriptions"  were  frequently  taken  up  in  the  Meeting 
for  benevolent  purposes.  In  this  year,  one  for  "defraying 
ye  expenses  of  a  family  taken  captive  by  ye  Indians  ni 
New  England ;"  also,  one  for  "defraying  ye  charges  to  ye 
healing  of  a  young  man  that  broke  his  leg  at  Hasom."^^ 
In  1736,  there  was  another  "to  assist  Daniel  Pennington 
to  make  up  part  of  his  loss — he  being  burnt  out.'* 

[1727.]  The  crops  of  our  forefathers  appear  to  have 
suffered  from  the  ravages  of  destructive  insects;  their 

stitution  was  well  nigh  universal.  Penn  himself  possessed  them. 
Among  those  in  and  near  Byberry  who  owned  slaves,  we  may  name 
the  following:  Growden,  Swift,  Benezet,  Carver,  Comly,  Duffield, 
Rush,  Knight  and  Walton.  In  1782  there  were  five  hundred  slaves  in 
Bucks  county  and  a  proportional  number  in  Byberry. 

Of  the  negro  race  living  in  Byberry,  not  a  single  descendant  re- 
mains. The  last  was  Cuffy  Todd,  who  was  murdered  by  a  deserter 
from  one  of  the  vessels  at  Philadelphia.  It  is  said  that  an  immense 
number  of  negroes  from  Philadelphia  attended  his  funeral.  His 
murderer  was  apprehended  and  hanged. 

'^  This  was  probably  an  early  form  of  the  word  Horsham,  as  we 
read  of  a  young  man  who  broke  his  leg  about  this  time  while  going 
to  Horsham  Meeting. 


56  THE  HISTORY  OF 

corn  was  frequently  injured  by  the  cut-worm,  and  their 
trees  by  the  caterpillar.  In  this  year  the  latter  became  so 
numerous  that  they  devoured  nearly  all  the  foliage  of  the 
trees,  and  wherever  they  passed  left  the  woods  as  bare  as 
in  December.  They  did  not  confine  themselves  to  the 
forest  trees,  but  attacked  and  destroyed  everything  green 
that  came  in  their  path.  It  is  probable  that  these  cater- 
pillars extended  their  depredations  over  a  large  extent  of 
country,  as  we  find  an  account  of  their  having  done  much 
damage  along  the  Schuylkill  during  the  same  season. 

[1733.]  In  this  year  Byberry  Meeting  procured  a 
"Book  of  Discipline"  at  the  expense  of  fifteen  shillings. 
About  the  same  time  a  number  of  other  works  were  added, 
and  formed  a  kind  of  circulating  library  for  the  use  of 
Friends.  This  appears  to  have  been  the  first  library  ever 
established  within  the  limits  of  either  township,  and  was 
highly  valued  at  that  time. 

Thomas  Chalkley'^^  mentions  an  earthquake  as  having 
occurred  in  Byberry  in  1737.  It  was  not  very  severe,  yet 
the  shock  was  sensibly  felt. 

[1740.]  This  winter  was  remarkable  for  a  great  snow 
storm,  which  covered  the  fences.  The  crust  on  it  was  so 
hard  that  horses  and  sleds  could  travel  over  it  in  any  di- 
rection, without  follow^ing  the  course  of  the  roads.  Those 
who  felled  trees  at  that  time  were  much  surprised  when 
the  snow  melted  to  find  the  stumps'  from  six  to  eight  feet 
high.    A  storm  somewhat  similar  to  this  occurred  in  the 

"*■  Thomas  Gialkley  of  Chalkley  Hall,  near  Frankford,  on  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad,  was  a  prominent  preacher  among  Friends  as  well 
as  a  sea  captain.  He  conducted  services  among  the  natives  on  the 
islands  which  he  visited.  He,  at  different  times,  visited  Byberry  and 
Byberry  people  were  accustomed  to  stop  at  his  residence  in  returning 
from  Philadelphia. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  57 

winter  of  1835-6.  John  Carver  resigned  his  situation  as 
clerk  of  the  Meeting  this  year,  and  was  succeeded  by  Wil- 
liam Dunkin,  who  continued  to  act  in  that  capacity  until 
1 75 1,  when  William  Walmsley  was  appointed  in  his  place. 

[1743.]  A  school-house  is  mentioned  as  having  stood 
in  Moreland  at  this  time;  but  no  account  of  teachers,  or 
scholars,  when  it  was  built,  or  where  located,  has  been 
found.  About  this  time  Samuel  Jackson  is  mentioned  as 
having  sometimes  preached  in  Byberry  Meeting;  and  his 
name  appears  on  the  records  for  about  two  years,  after 
which  we  hear  no  more  of  him.  Thomas  Walton,  Jr.,  is 
said  sometimes  to  have  preached,  but  was  never  recom- 
mended. He  was  afterwards  disowned,  in  1764,  for  non- 
fulfilment  of  some  contracts.  One  Will  Knight,  a  half- 
brother  to  Giles,  sometimes  preached,  but  it  was  not  well 
received.  On  one  occasion  some  person  pulled  him  down, 
when  he  remarked :  "Thou  needst  not  do  so ;  for  if  it  be 
of  Christ  thou  canst  not  stop  it,  and  if  it  be  not  of  Christ 
it  will  die  of  itself."  A  more  appropriate  answer  could 
scarcely  have  been  found.  Friends,  however,  showed 
their  disunity  with  the  matter,  and  he  soon  desisted. 

[1746.]  We  find  no  account  of  any  taverns  in  either 
township  previous  to  this  year.  One  is  mentioned  as 
having  been  then  kept  in  the  village  of  Smithfield,  but  no 
further  account  of  it  has  been  preserved.  About  this 
time  an  application  for  a  tavern  at  Byberry  Crossroads 
was  made  by  Richard  Carver,  on  which  occasion  several 
of  the  inhabitants  signed  a  remonstrance  against  granting 
this  application,  in  which  it  was  stated  that  it  would  be 
an  injury  to  the  neighborhood ;  that  there  was  no  need  of 
a  tavern  in  the  place,  as  three  were  already  within  three 


58  THE  HISTORY  OF 

miles,  and  that  it  would  only  be  a  resort  for  idle  persons, 
servants,  and  negroes.  This  was  signed  by  John  Jackson* 
Evan  Thomas,  Jonathan  Knight,  Crispin  Collett,  Daniel 
Knight,  Benjamin  Walton,  Thomas  Knight,  Joseph  Gil- 
bert, Silas  Titus,  William  Marshall,  John  Rush,  and  was 
probably  effectual,  as  we  find  no  account  of  the  tavern 
afterwards  until  1755. 

[1748.]  On  the  25th  of  6th  mo.,  1742,  the  Preparative 
Meeting  "agreed  to  wall  ye  graveyard  with  stone,  and 
Joseph  Gilbert,  Evan  Thomas,  Jonathan  Knight,  and 
Daniel  Knight,  were  appointed  to  provide  materials,  em- 
ploy workmen,  and  see  ye  work  done."  From  some 
further  accounts  it  would  seem  as  if  this  wall  was  not 
built  until  1748,  and  that  the  northwest  end  was  left  open 
so  as  to  extend  the  yard  in  that  direction.  Friends  at 
this  time  offered  the  privilege  of  burying  to  all  who  in 
any  way  assisted  in  the  matter,  and  to  their  children ;  and 
several  took  advantage  of  this  proposition. 

[1749.]  The  first  account  of  the  appearance  of  the 
seventeen-year  locusts,  in  Byberry,  was  in  this  year.  They 
came  in  great  numbers,  and  have  appeared  regularly  every 
seventeen  years  since,  generallv  lirst  showing  themselves 
about  the  20th  of  Jtme.  From  the  accounts  kept  of  them 
it  would  seem  that  they  vary  but  little  in  the  numbers 
which  appear.  They  do  much  mischief  by  injuring  the 
trees  when  about  to  deposit  their  eggs,  and  some  in- 
stances of  children  having  been  poisoned  by  their  sting 
have  been  met  with. 

[1753.]  A  collection  was  taken  up  to  pay  for  covering 
the  meeting-house,  which  was  done  the  same  year.  An- 
other collection  was  also  taken  up  for  making  an  addition 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  59 

to  Byberry  Meeting,  by  which  we  find  that  fifty-two  per- 
sons contributed  to  that  object.  The  addition  made  was 
thirty  by  thirty-five  feet,  and  one  story  high.  Two  large 
fireplaces  were  built  in  it;  one  in  each  corner  of  the  east 
end.  By  means  of  these,  the  room  was  more  comfortably 
warmed,  and  in  winter  was  generally  occupied  for  meet- 
ing purposes.  Some  time  after  this  other  improvements 
were  made  by  introducing  stoves,  substituting  wooden  for 
the  leaden  sash,  and  putting  shutters  to  the  windows,  so 
that  the  house  was  improved  both  in  comfort  and  general 
appearance,  and  in  this  condition  continued  to  be  the 
place  of  worship  for  Friends  until  1808,  when  the  present 
building  was  erected. 

Although  the  first  settlers  of  Byberry  were  principally 
Friends,  yet  others  of  difi^erent  persuasions  came  into  the 
townships,  so  that  by  this  time  many  of  the  inhabitants 
were  of  that  class.  Friends  always  made  provision  for 
their  poor,  but  other  societies  were  not  so  particular  to  do 
so;  and  as  these  increased  with  the  increase  of  population, 
the  township  felt  the  necessity  of  providing  for  the  main- 
tenance of  such  as  were  unable  to  take  care  of  themselves. 
From  this  time  to  1800,  about  twenty  persons  were  sup- 
ported by  the  public,  two  of  them  being  for  the  space  of 
twenty-five  years.  The  annual  average  amount  of  poor 
tax  from  this  tim.e  to  1780,  collected  in  Byberry,  was 
$99.67 — all  of  which  was  spent  in  maintaining  the  poor. 

['^7SS']  ^^  this  year  a  remonstrance  was  numerously 
signed  against  granting  Jacob  Buskirk  the  right  to  open  a 
public  house  at  the  B3^berry  Crossroads,  which  was  prob- 
ably without  efYect,  as  we  find  mention  of  a  tavern  called 
the  "Three  Tuns,"  kept  at  this  place,  in  1760.    About  this 


60  THE  HISTORY  OF 

time  there  were  two  brickyards  in  successful  operation  in 
Byberry.  One  of  them  was  on  the  farm  now  belonging 
to  John  Tomlinson,-'^-^  and  the  other  on  land  belonging  to 
George  De  Haven.  These  bricks  were  used  instead  of 
los's  in  erecting  houses,  and  are  said  to  have  answered  the 
purpose  very  well.  For  some  years  previous  to  this,  a  gun 
manufactory  had  been  in  successful  operation  on  Byberry 
Creek,  on  lands  now  owned  by  Reuben  Parry.  The  busi- 
ness was  carried  on  by  the  Rushes,  but  seems  to  have  gone 
down  soon  after  this  time. 

During  the  French  and  Indian  war,  which  lasted  from 
1755  to  1763,  the  people  of  Byberry  and  Moreland  had  a 
share  of  the  troubles.  As  the  government  was  in  want  of 
soldiers,  several  persons  from  Byberry  entered  the  service, 
among  which  were  some  belonging  to  Friends.  These 
latter  were  dealt  with  by  the  Society,  and  disowned  for  so 
doing.  The  people  were  kept  in  great  apprehension  for 
fear  the  Indians  would  come  down  from  the  mountains 
and  destroy  them,  and  some  idle  persons  raised  a  report 
that  they  had  come  and  destroyed  the  village  of  Smith- 
field.  This  news  caused  great  consternation,  and  many 
of  the  inhabitants  fled  in  haste  to  Dunks'  Ferry,  where 
they  crossed  into  New  Jersey.  The  report  afterwards 
proving  false,  the  fugitives  returned  not  a  little  discom- 
fited that  they  should  have  been  so  easily  frightened. 

[1758.]  About  this  time  Thomas  Livezey  made  a  sur- 
vey and  draft  of  Smithfield.  He  represented  the  town 
lot  as  containing  about  eighty  acres,  with  the  main  street 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Linford  Shoemaker,  a  son-in-law 
of  John  Tomlinson.  The  property  formerly  owned  by  George  De 
Haven  is  now  owned  by  Colonel  E.  D.  Morrell. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  6 1 

running  diagonally  across  it.  Among  the  owners  of  the 
lot  at  that  time  we  find  the  names  of  Comly,  Knight,  and 
Walmsley. 

As  we  have  already  observed,  the  great  evil  of  human 
slavery  was  introduced  into  the  townships  in  1720;  but 
it  never  became  very  popular.  It  probably  was  at  its 
greatest  height  about  this  time,  when  the  Yearly  Meeting 
issued  its  testimony  against  keeping  slaves.  After  this 
Friends  were  careful  not  to  go  deeper  into  the  evil ;  but 
they  did  not  manumit  those  already  held  until  the  Meet- 
ing became  more  positive  in  its  directions,  when  most  of 
those  belonging  to  the  Society  set  their  slaves  free;  yet 
two  or  three  who  continued  to  hold  their  fellowmen  in 
bondage  were  disowned  therefor.  When  the  slaves  were 
liberated,  care  was  taken  by  their  late  masters  to  provide 
for  them,  and  to  assist  them  in  procuring  a  livelihood,  alsa 
to  encourage  and  aid  them  in  educating  their  children. 
After  Friends  liberated  their  slaves,  others  became  con- 
vinced of  the  evil,  and  many  were  induced  to  follow  the 
glorious  example  of  their  neighbors,  so  that  in  a  few  years 
but  few  slaves  were  to  be  found  in  the  townships. 

[1759.]  Benjamin  Gilbert  erected  a  grist  mill  on  By- 
berry  Creek  near  the  centre  of  Byberry,  which  proved  a 
great  accommodation  to  the  inhabitants.  The  old  mill 
spoken  of  in  Walter  Forrest's  will  had  long  ceased  to 
exist ;  and  for  some  years  the  only  mills  in  Byberry  were 
two  bolting  mills, — one  near  Reuben  Parry's,  owned  by 
the  Rush  family,  and  that  of  Giles  Knight.  Some  time 
after  this  Jonathan  Knight,  gentleman,  built  a  grist  mill 
on  the  Poquessing,  several  yards  northeast  of  the  one  now 
in  the  possession  of  Jonathan  Knight. 


62  THE  HISTORY  OF 

In  this  year  we  find  that  Friends  concluded  to  hold 
afternoon  meetings,  with  the  hope  of  inducing  the  youth 
of  the  neighborhood  to  attend,  instead  of  spending  their 
time  in  a  much  less  desirable  way.  They  were  held  on  the 
2d  and  4th  First  days  of  each  month  during  the  summer 
season,  and  were  so  well  attended  that  they  were  con- 
tinued nearly  forty  years. 

[1760.]  In  this  year  wx  find  a  notice  of  a  hotel,  kept  at 
Byberry  Crossroads,  with  a  sign  of  the  "Three  Tuns." 
It  was  kept  at  one  time  by  Nancy  Heaton,  and  at  another 
by  John  Hilt.^^  It  had  been  customary  to  hold  the  town- 
ship elections  at  the  Byberry  school-house ;  but  some  were 
desirous  of  having  them  held  at  the  "Three  Tuns,"  in 
hopes  of  continuing  the  hotel  at  that  place.  The  officers 
of  the  election  advertised  it  accordingly ;  but  as  none  went 
except  the  officers,  the  plan  entirely  failed,  and  was  not 
tried  a  second  time. 

This  hotel  was  considered  a  nuisance  by  the  neighbors, 
and  but  few  of  the  respectable  part  of  the  community  had 
anything  to  do  with  it.  For  want  of  patronage,  it  was 
afterwards  closed. -^^ 

"Whiskey  was  sold,  however,  at  the  Crossroads  and  at  Byberry 
store. 

"  The  Red  Lion  Hotel  just  east  of  Byberry  in  Bensalem  is  the  old- 
•est  in  this  locality.  In  1730  Philip  Amos  (written  Ames  by  Isaac 
Comly)  petitioned  the  court  to  be  allowed  to  keep  a  public  house  on 
the  north  side  of  the  Poquessing  Creek,  on  the  Bristol  Road.  In 
1744,  we  find  Ann  Amos  at  the  Red  Lion  Hotel.  An  early  account 
says  that  Philip  Amos  had  left  his  wife  in  England  with  an  intention 
to  do  without  her ;  but  she  came  over  without  his  knowledge  and  pre- 
sented herself  quite  unexpectedly  to  him  one  evening  as  he  was  sit- 
ting by  his  fireside.  Ann  Amos  kept  the  hotel  as  late  as  1770.  On 
the  29th  of  August.  1774,  the  delegates  from  Massachusetts  to  Con- 
gress dined  at  the  hotel.  John  Adams  stopped  at  the  hotel  on  De- 
cember 9th,  1775,  and  October  13th,  1776.    In  1781,  while  on  its  way 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  63 

Nearly  all  the  original  surveys  of  land  in  Byberry  and 
Moreland  were  made  by  Thomas  Holme,  surveyor-gen- 
eral. He  laid  out  the  first  farms  in  regular  parallelograms 
of  fifty  or  one  hundred  perches  wide.  From  the  time  of 
his  death,  with  the  exception  of  Moses  Moon  and  Nicholas 
Scull,^^  who  did  some  surveying  in  the  townships,  we 
have  no  account  of  any  surveyors  until  Silas  and  John 
Watts,  of  Lower  Dublin,  commenced  the  business,  in 
1760.  They  did  nearly  the  whole  business,  until  1794, 
when  Silas  died,  and  John,  finding  himself  growing  old, 
persuaded  John  Comly  to  take  up  the  matter,  promising 
him  assistance  when  needed.  He  was  successful;  and 
continued  to  be  the  surveyor  for  over  fifty  years,  until  the 
infirmities  of  old  age  prevented  his  continuance  at  the 
business. 

[1763,]  An  earthquake  was  quite  sensibly  felt;  and  on 
the  29th  of  November,  1783,  another  much  more  severe 
occurred,  and  this  one  was  again  followed  by  another  in 
about  five  hours. 

[  1 7^7'  ]  Milling  seems  to  have  been  profitable  business ; 
for  most  of  the  mill  sites  were  soon  after  this  selected,  and 
mills  erected  thereon.  In  this  year  a  mill  was  built  on  the 
Poquessing  by  Thomas  and  John  Townsend,^"^  who  com- 

to  Yorktown,  Washington's  Army  encamped  on  the  banks  of  the 
Poquessing. 

Concerning  the  origin  of  the  name,  Gen.  W.  W.  H.  Davis  says: 
"It  is  thought  to  have  originated  with  John  of  Gaunt,  Duke  of  Lan- 
caster, who  married  a  daughter  of  Don  Pedro,  the  Cruel,  and  wore 
a  lion  rampant  to  represent  his  claim  to  the  throne  of  Castile." 

"Nicholas  Scull  of  Whitemarsh,  Montgomery  county,  made^  a 
map  of  Philadelphia  in  1750.  He  is  thought  to  have  been  buried  with 
his  wife  at  Camp  Hill. 

"  See  note  on  this  topic  in  the  account  of  the  mills  of  this  locality. 


64  THE  HISTORY  OF 

menced  business  there,  in  partnership.  This  continued  for 
twelve  or  fifteen  years,  when  Thomas  sold  out  his  half  to 
John,  in  whose  family  it  remained  until  within  a  few 
years.  During  that  time  it  passed  through  the  hands  of 
John,  Ezra,  and  John  P.,  successively,  and  is  now  owned 
by  Levis  Levis. ^^ 

[1770.]  The  people  of  this  section  appear  to  have  been 
very  peaceable,  as  we  find  no  account  of  any  person's 
holding  a  commission  as  justice  of  peace  until  Alexander 
Edwards,  in  1770.  Previous  to  that  time  the  little  busi- 
ness in  that  line  was  done  by  Joshua  Maddox  or  Isaac 
Ashton,  in  Lower  Dublin.  Difiiculties  and  disputes  among 
Eriends  were  generally  settled  by  the  Meeting ;  and  it  was 
not  until  other  denominations  became  more  abundant  that 
a  justice  of  the  peace  was  thought  necessary. 

[1772.]  As  has  been  already  observed,  but  little  oppor- 
tunity was  afforded  to  the  children  of  the  early  settlers  for 
obtaining  an  education,  and  many  could  neither  read  nor 
write;  but  it  is  believed  that  endeavors  were  used,  as  soon 
as  circumstances  permitted,  to  establish  a  place  of  instruc- 
tion. At  an  early  day,  a  log  school-house  was  erected 
near  the  meeting-house,  and  in  this  a  school  was  kept 
until  1772,  when,  being  no  longer  fit  for  the  purpose,  it 
was  pulled  down.  The  school  was  then  moved  to  the 
meeting-house,  where  it  was  continued  until  after  the 
Revolution.  Although  the  school  appears  to  have  been 
regularly  kept  since  1750,  the  affairs  were  very  loosely 
conducted.  During  this  year  the  subject  of  schools  was 
particularly  adverted  to  in  the  Preparative  Meeting;  and, 
after  an  interchange  of  views,  James  Thornton,  Thomas 

•"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  James  McMullen. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  6$ 

Townsend,  John  Townsend,  and  Jonathan  Knight,  were 
appointed  to  have  the  school  under  their  particular  care. 
From  this  time  forward  this  important  subject  received  its 
share  of  attention;  and,  owing  to  the  judicious  manage- 
ment of  those  who  were  appointed  on  such  committees, 
an  increased  interest  was  soon  manifest  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  the  facilities  for  obtaining  a  good  education 
were  thereby  much  improved.  The  meeting  instructed  its 
committee  to  employ  such  teachers  "as  were  not  only  in 
membership  with  us,  but  who  were  well  qualified  for  the 
business,  and  careful  and  attentive  in  the  discharge  of 
their  duties;  and  especially,  that  they  be  of  sound  moral 
and  religious  principles,  that  by  precept  and  example  the}' 
might  inculcate  useful  sentiments  in  the  minds  of  those 
under  their  tuition."  In  the  year  1776  they  employed 
Benjamin  Kite  to  take  charge  of  the  school  at  the  meeting- 
house. He  was  an  excellent  teacher,  and  is  said  to  have 
brought  about  a  great  change  for  the  better,  in  the  man- 
ner of  instructing  the  youth  in  Byberry.  He  was  a  man 
of  good  judgment,  with  but  moderate  abilities;  but  had 
a  peculiar  faculty  for  imparting  his  knowledge,  and  kept 
the  best  school  that  had  then  ever  been  in  the  township. 

[1774.]  This  year  was  remarkable  for  the  snow  storm 
which  occurred  on  the  3d  of  May,  and  which  did  much 
injury  to  the  crops  of  the  farmers  in  Byberry  and  the 
adjoining  districts.  In  the  same  notes*  we  find  that  in 
February,  1779,  the  weather  was  so  warm  that  the  bees 
swarmed  and  the  peach  trees  blossomed. 

[1776.]  This  year  the  ''camp  fever,"  as  it  was  called, 
w^as  very  fatal  in  Byberry,  and  numbers  of  the  people  died 

*  Notes  kept  by  Henry  Tomlinson,  of  Bensalem. 
5 


66  THE  HISTORY  OF 

of  the  disease.  Among  these  were  Richard  Walton  and 
Daniel  Walton — the  latter  of  whom  owned  a  saw  mill, 
situated  in  the  meadow  lately  owned  by  Nancy  Walton. ^^ 
When  this  mill  was  built  is  not  known;  but  it  was  per- 
mitted to  go  into  decay  after  Daniel's  death.  Some  re- 
mains of  the  dam  and  race  are  still  visible. 

1^779']  According  to  the  tax  duplicate  for  this  year, 
the  number  of  taxables  in  Byberry  was  82,  and  the  value 
of  property  £179,690.  Men  were  then  required  to  swear 
or  affirm  that  they  had  given  in  the  right  amount,  and  in 
case  of  refusal  they  were  taxed  double.  Of  the  61  prop- 
erty holders  in  1779,  7  swore,  33  affirmed,  and  21  were 
taxed  double  because  they  said  nothing.  Nine  men  were 
taxed  $15  each  because  they  had  no  wives. 

[1780.]  The  census  of  the  townships,  taken  this  year, 
show  only  three  persons  held  as  slaves.  They  were  rated 
from  two  hundred  to  three  hundred  dollars  each;  but  it 
appears  that  their  value  soon  afterward  decreased,  for, 
in  1784,  only  four  years  subsequent,  they  were  worth  but 
half  that  sum.^^ 

Previous  to  this  time  the  colored  people  who  died  in  the 
townships  were  generally  buried  in  the  orchards  belonging 
to  their  masters  or  in  the  woods;  but  forty  or  fifty  had 
been  interred  in  a  kind  of  a  cemetery  for  them,  on  lands 
lately  owned  by  Charles  Walmsley.^^  It  was  located  in 
the  field  fronting  the  mansion  house,  not  far  from  Watson 

"This  property  is  now  owned  by  Edward  Shallcross. 

**  The  decrease  in  the  value  of  slaves  was  probably  due  to  the  ef- 
forts put  forth  by  Anthony  Benezet  to  have  them  freed. 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Elijah  Osmond. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  6/ 

Comly's  line.^^  All  traces  of  it  have  long  since  been  de- 
stroyed, and  hundreds  have  since  passed  over  the  spot  not 
knowing  that  they  were  treading  upon  the  graves  of  the 
long  since  dead.  Another  of  these  graveyards  was  on  the 
farm  lately  owned  by  Mary  Hillborn/^  where  several 
slaves  were  buried.  The  exact  spot  is  not  now  known. 
Many  persons  by  this  time  had  had  their  attention  drawn 
to  the  matter,  and  efforts  were  made  to  secure  a  proper 
place  for  the  burial  of  such  people.  Accordingly,  in  this 
year,  we  find  that  Byberry  Meeting  purchased  a  lot  of 
Thomas  Town  send  for  a  burying  place  for  the  blacks,  and 
the  practice  of  burying  on  private  grounds  was  discon- 
tinued. The  record  says  the  first  person  buried  there  was 
^7ini,''  a  negro  belonging  to  Daniel  Walton. 

The  land  in  Byberry  and  Moreland,  as  well  as  all  other 
land  in  Pennsylvania,  was  subject  to  a  quit-rent  from  its 
first  settlement.  This  was  not  very  heavy,  being  only  a 
penny  to  the  acre,  or  a  shilling  sterling  to  the  one  hundred 
acres.  It  continued  until  the  Revolution,  when  the  As- 
sembly of  Pennsylvania  passed  an  Act  abolishing  all  quit- 
rents;  but  as  considerable  opposition  was  made  by  John 
Penn,  then  the  principal  proprietor,  the  Assembly  agreed 
to  pay  him  £130,000  in  lieu  of  said  quit-rent,  and  the 
landholders  were  thus  released  from  further  payment. 

Having  spoken  of  many  circumstances  that  transpired 
previous  to  1780,  it  is  now  time  to  glance  at  some  of  the 
events  which  occurred  within  our  limits  during  the  time 
the  Colonies  were  struggling  to  throw  off  the  galling  yoke 

**  The  property  of  Watson  Comly  now  belongs  to  Joseph  Buckman. 

**  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Anthony  McGarbey  and  is  the 
residence  of  Charles  Osmond. 


68  THE  HISTORY  OF 

of  slavery  to  the  Mother  Country.  We  might  speak  here 
of  the  noble  cause  in  which  they  were  engaged,  and  por- 
tray to  our  readers  some  of  the  exciting  times  connected 
with  that  period,  but  it  would  be  only  repeating  an  oft- 
told  tale,  and  we  must  content  ourselves  with  a  mere 
glance  at  the  events  as  they  were  enacted  in  those  days. 
There  is  no  account  of  our  fair  fields  having  been  deluged 
with  blood,  nor  of  any  battle  having  occurred  except  the 
skirmish  at  Smithfield;  and  of  that  it  is  said  that  about 
twenty-five  Americans  were,  on  a  certain  occasion,  in 
the  vicinity  of  Eustleton,  when  they  were  pursued  by  a 
company  of  seventy-fi.ve  British  soldiers.  As  the  pursuit 
did  not  continue  farther  than  Bustleton,  the  Americans 
thought  the  danger  had  passed,  and  accordingly  halted  at 
Vanhorn's  hotel,  in  Smithfield,  to  spend  the  night.  This 
company  was  under  the  command  of  Jacob  Humphreys, 
and  on  that  very  night  allowed  themselves  to  be  surprised 
by  one  hundred  British  infantry  and  twenty  cavalry ;  and, 
in  the  engagement  which  followed,  one-half  of  them  were 
either  slain  or  captured.  The  Americans  scattered,  and 
were  pursued  by  the  enemy.  One  person,  named  Glent- 
worth,  while  trying  to  escape,  fell  over  the  fence  just  as  a 
soldier  discharged  his  musket  at  him,  and,  as  he  was  sup- 
posed to  be  killed,  the  enemy  retired,  and  he  escaped  un- 
harmed. On  that  occasion  several  bullets  were  shot 
through  the  front  door  of  a  house  in  the  village,  which  be- 
longed to  a  person  named  Vansant.  He  escaped  only  by 
hiding  himself  under  a  hogshead.  In  the  morning  several 
of  the  British  went  to  Esquire  Comly's  house,  where  they 
demanded  breakfast,  which  was  at  length  furnished,  much 
against  his  will.    They  had  with  them  a  man  named  Krew- 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  69 

son,  whom  they  had  taken  prisoner  the  preceding  night. 
The  same  night  the  British  visited  the  house  now  be- 
longing to  Jacob  Saurman,^^  and  a  person  named  Boucher, 
who  had  not  time  to  escape  from  the  house,  crept  into  the 
chimney,  and  his  wife  pushed  the  bed  against  it  so  as  en- 
tirely to  conceal  the  fireplace.  They  searched  the  house  in 
vain  for  their  prisoner,  but  were  finally  compelled  to  leave 
without  him.  They  took  the  best  of  the  horses  with  them, 
but  did  not  otherwise  molest  the  family.  On  one  occasion, 
says  a  contemporary,  a  number  of  men,  among  whom  was 
Peter  Yarnall,  went  to  Byberry  Meeting,  while  Friends 
were  assembling  there,  and  took  several  horses  therefrom. 
They  were  afterwards  returned  to  their  proper  owners. 
During  the  whole  of  this  trying  period,  the  inhabitants  of 
both  townships  were  harassed  by  unprincipled  collectors 
and  lawless  bands  of  plunderers.  Many  of  the  people 
were  Friends,  and  were  restrained  by  religious  principles 
from  joining  in  the  contest.  They  suffered  the  loss  of 
much  property,  sometimes  for  the  use  of  the  army,  some- 
times for  military  demands,  and  at  others  without  any  pre- 
text whatever.  Horses,  sheep,  hogs,  wheat,  corn,  etc., 
were  carried  oft".  Men  were  frequently  seized  and  put  in 
the  army.  One  Friend,  who  kept  an  account  of  the  prop- 
erty taken  from  him,  stated  that  it  amounted  by  fair  valua- 
tion to  £150  sterling;  another  had  his  horses  taken  from 
the  plow  by  the  soldiers,  and  many  of  the  household  goods 
of  a  third  were  seized  by  the  collector.  On  the  6th  of 
March,  1778,  a  company  of  Lacy's  men,  numbering  about 
six  hundred,  set  fire  to  several  barns  and  wheat-stacks  near 

**  Unfortunately  this  house  no  longer  exists,  it  having  been  replaced 
f  by  a  handsome  modern  structure. 


yO  THE  HISTORY  OF 

the  Bristol  turnpike,  under  pretence  of  fulfilling  orders 
issued  by  General  Washington,  to  prevent  the  grain  from 
falling  into  the  hands  of  the  British,  then  in  possession  of 
Philadelphia.  They  burned  some  wheat-stacks  belonging 
to  James  Thornton,  near  Byberry  Meeting  House,  and 
some  owned  by  his  tenant,  Robert  Thomas,  not  far  from 
Knight's  mill,  and  supposed  to  contain  three  hundred 
bushels.  A  barn  belonging  to  Andrew  Singley,  at  White 
Sheet  Bay,  on  the  Delaware,  and  one  owned  by  Thomp- 
son, at  Prospect  Hill,  were  also  destroyed.  One  account 
says,  that  James  Thornton  met  them  near  Joseph  Knight's 
corner,  and  threatened  to  inform  Washington  of  their 
proceedings  if  they  did  not  desist;  others  say  that  a  supe- 
rior officer  met  them,  and  ordered  them  to  destroy  no  more 
barns,  after  which  they  proceeded  to  the  Billet.  Shortly 
after  this  General  Lacy  caused  many  of  the  cattle  and 
sheep  to  be  driven  into  Bucks  County  under  a  similar  plea. 
Some  were  taken  as  far  as  Doylestown,  and  others  left 
near  the  Buck  Hotel,  in  Southampton;  but  the  owners 
going  after  them,  nearly  all  were  recovered.  There  was 
but  little  security  for  either  persons  or  property,  for  wheat 
was  taken  from  the  granary,  corn  from  the  crib,  fatted 
hogs  from  the  pen,  and  even  pork  from  the  tub.  One  man 
left  his  corn  in  the  shock  until  spring,  thinking  thus  to 
save  it;  but  it  was  taken  as  soon  as  husked.  The  same 
person,  in  order  to  save  his  wheat,  had  it  ground,  and  the 
flour  packed  in  barrels  and  hid  under  some  buckwheat 
straw,  where  it  remained  all  winter.  In  the  spring  he 
found  a  ready  market  among  the  poor  people,  who  came 
up  the  river  in  boats,  and  walked  across  the  country  to  his 
place.    They  first  exhausted  the  supply  at  Howell's,  now 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  7 1 

Comly's  mill;  and  were  then  sent  to  this  farmer,  who 
always  kept  a  barrel  open  ready  to  supply  their  wants. 
The  flour  was  soon  sold,  and  silver  received  in  payment. 
The  men,  it  is  said,  carried  a  half,  and  the  women  a  quar- 
ter of  a  hundred,  to  the  river,  a  distance  of  three  miles. 
There  was  considerable  difficulty  in  getting  produce  to 
market,  as  Washington  had  prohibited  any  intercourse 
with  the  British  while  they  were  in  Philadelphia ;  yet,  as 
provisions  were  high,  and  gold  or  silver  paid  for  all  that 
was  purchased,  many  ran  the  risk  of  being  captured,  and 
when  a  successful  trip  was  made,  they  seemed  to  be  well 
repaid  for  the  danger.  They  generally  went  along  by- 
paths and  across  fields,  and  travelled  only  by  night.  A 
company  of  these  men,  when  returning  home,  were  bold 
enough  to  venture  up  the  Bristol  road,  and  when  near 
Holm.esburg  were  fired  on  by  a  body  of  soldiers,  and  one 
of  their  number.  Tommy  Price,  was  killed. 

An  old  account  says  that  Washington,  while  on  the 
march  to  attack  Cornwallis,  at  Yorktown,  in  1781,  en- 
camped one  night  with  the  main  part  of  his  army  on  both 
sides  of  the  Poquessing  Creek,  in  the  southern  part  of  By- 
berry,  and  near  the  Red  Lion  Hotel. 

Notwithstanding  the  great  difficulty  of  getting  their 
produce  to  market,  and  the  losses  sustained  in  various 
other  ways,  there  were  but  few  cases  of  failure  among 
the  inhabitants  of  either  township.  They  made  their  ex- 
penses correspond  with  their  income,  and  were  generally 
prosperous ;  while  some  of  the  military  collectors,  who  had 
taken  undue  advantages,  afterward  became  very  poor,  and 
in  one  case  reduced  to  actual  want. 

Many  of  the  inhabitants  were  in  favor  of  the  old  form 


y2  THE  HISTORY  01* 

of  government,  but  they  generally  took  no  part  in  the  con- 
test, and  but  few  were  compelled  to  leave  the  townships  on 
that  account.  It  is  said  that  William  Walmsley  harbored 
Joseph  Galloway  after  he  was  compelled  to  leave  his  resi- 
dence at  Trevose,  now  Belmont,  on  account  of  his  favor- 
ing the  British,  but  Walmsley  was  not  interfered  with. 
Jonathan  Walton,^^  of  Moreland,  took  an  active  part 
against  the  Americans,  and  was  forced  to  go  to  Canada, 
but  afterwards  returned  and  was  not  molested.  His 
property  was  not  confiscated,  and  he  sold  it  some  years 
after  peace  was  declared  to  Judge  Sommer.  Some  of 
the  Tories  in  the  adjoining  townships  were  so  active  in 
their  operations  against  the  colonists,  that  they  were 
forced  to  flee  to  Nova  Scotia,  England,  and  other  places. 
After  the  war  was  closed,  the  new  government  passed  an 
act  requiring  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  it  to  be  taken  by  all 
citizens,  and  denying  to  all  who  refused  to  do  so  the  rights 
of  citizenship.  Some  took  the  test  without  hesitation,  but 
others  felt  some  scruples  about  the  matter.  As  the  provi- 
sions of  the  new  government  became  better  known,  the 
seeming  objections  were  removed,  and  the  inhabitants 
generally  came  into  the  measure,  although  some  called  it 
"swallowing  the  pill.'' 

There  was  one  act  done  by  the  people  of  Byberry  which 
illustrates  their  true  character,  and  deserves  a  place  in  this 
history.  Benjamin  Kite,  who  kept  school  at  Byberry  dur- 
ing the  Revokition,  gives  the  following  account  of  this 
circumstance :    "A  singular  civil  arrangement  took  place 

"  In  1850,  an  unofficial  inscription  on  one  of  the  rafters  of  Byberry 

Meeting,  in  which  Jonathan  Walton  is  spoken  of  as  a  "D Tory," 

could  still  be  seen. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND. 


73 


in  Byberry,  with  which  no  one  who  now  Hves  is  better 
acquainted  than  m3^self,  which  I  think  ought  to  be  known. 
Soon  after  the  Revolutionary  War  began,  and  with  which 
the  inhabitants  being  all  Friends  could  take  no  part,  some 
of  the  better  class,  convinced  that  the  few  poor  of  the 
township  should  be  provided  for,  and  the  roads  kept  in 
order  without  applying  to  any  of  the  constituted  authori- 
ties, either  of  the  old  or  new  regime,  for  years  held  elec- 
tions, chose  overseers  and  supervisors,  who  regularly  laid 
out  and  collected  taxes,  took  care  of  the  poor,  and  re- 
paired the  roads;  and  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  taxes 
were  never  more  regularl}^  paid,  though  the  collectors  had 
no  power  to  enforce  their  payment,  nor  were  the  poor  ever 
more  comfortably  taken  care  of,  nor  the  roads  kept  in 
better  repair.  The  elections  and  the  settlement  of  the  offi- 
cers' accounts  took  place  in  my  school-room,  and  I,  on 
those  occasions,  acted  ex-oificio  as  clerk." 

During  the  war,  as  is  well  known.  Congress  issued 
"Bills  of  Credit"  to  a  large  amount.  This  was  called  Con- 
tinental money,  and  soon,  began  to  depreciate,  so  that  in  a 
short  time  it  was  worth  little  or  nothing.  One  man  in  By- 
berry,  it  is  said,  paid  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  of  it 
for  a  tea-kettle,  and  another  paid  one  hundred  dollars  for 
a  mug  of  beer.*^  Some,  who  were  opposed  to  any  change 
in  the  government,  refused  the  Continental  money,  and 
hoarded  up  the  old  Province  money,  which  they  thought 
would  be  of  full  value  after  the  war;  but  they  were 
doomed  to  disappointment,  it  being  entirely  valueless. 

*'  In  Henry  Tomlinson's  diary,  a  portion  of  which  has  been  in- 
serted in  this  history,  is  an  entry  stating  that  Continental  money  was 
at  the  ratio  of  six-hundred  to  one. 


74  THE  HISTORY  OF 


*Byberry  and  the  adjoining  townships,  although  never  the  scene 
of  any  Revolutionary  battle,  if  we  except  that  at  Hatborough,  yet 
were,  during  that  period,  closely  connected  with  the  war. 

On  the  Qth  of  December,  1776,  General  Washington  stationed 
Colonel  Nixon's  regiment  at  Dunk's  Ferry,  where  it  remained  for 
about  a  month,  affording  opportunity  for  much  intercourse  with  the 
people  of  the  locality.  About  the  same  time  the  Legislature  of  New 
Jersey  met  at  Four  Lanes'  End  (since  called  Attleborough  and  Lang- 
horne). 

When  Washington  marched  through  Pennsylvania  in  1777  to  meet 
the  British  at  Chadd's  Ford,  on  the  Brandywine,  he  stopped  at  Ger- 
mantown.  This  was  August  6th.  On  August  loth,  he  retraced  his 
steps  as  far  as  Hartsville  on  the  Neshaminy.  Here  he  encamped  for 
more  than  a  week. 

During  the  British  occupation  of  Philadelphia,  the  country  be- 
tween the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill  was  the  scene  of  an  active  guerrilla 
warfare.  On  the  same  day  on  which  the  attack  was  made  on  Red 
Bank,  Simcoe's  Queen's  Rangers  advanced  over  Frankford  Road  as 
far  as  Frankford,  then  moved  around  the  American  post  at  Frank- 
ford  and  proceeded  to  the  Red  Lion  Hotel  at  Torresdale.  They  made 
no  captures.  A  few  days  later,  these  same  troops  attempted  to  cap- 
ture the  American  post  at  Frankford,  but  found  the  place  deserted. 
A  number  of  those  wounded  at  Germantown  on  October  4th  were 
cared  for  in  this  locality.  On  October  i6th,  Captain  Webb  was  cap- 
tured at  Abington  with  his  command.  About  Christmas,  1777,  Gen- 
eral Lacey's  men  advanced  over  Frankford  Road  to  force  a  British 
foraging  party  to  return  out  of  New  Jersey.  According  to  William 
H.  Egle,  the  British  entered  Moreland,  Byberry  and  Bensalem  on 
January  13th,  1778,  and  captured  John  Vandergrift,  his  son,  and 
Edward  Duffield.  On  February  13th  the  British  took  prisoner  Mr. 
Butler,  on  the  Old  York  Road.  On  January  20th,  General  Lacey, 
who  had  been  ordered  to  occupy  this  locality  about  January  ist,  sta- 
tioned eighty  men  at  Smithfield  to  keep  a  closer  watch  on  the  enemy. 
Here,  on  February  14th,  they  were  surprised  and  about  one-half  were 
either  taken  prisoners  or  slain  by  Captain  Thomas  and  his  Bucks 
County  Tories.  Thomas  came  out  of  the  city  along  with  Hovenden 
to  devastate  the  country  and  capture  stragglers.  Thomas  took  the 
Bustleton  road  and  fought  the  above-mentioned  skirmish  at  Smith- 
field.  Hovenden  took  the  Bristol  Road  and  captured  Gunning  Bed- 
ford, Master  of  the  Commissary  Department  of  the  Army,  Major 
John  Snyder,  John  Miller  and  Benjamin  Walton.  On  February  i8th, 
the  British  again  advanced  into  the  section,  this  time  as  far  as  New- 
town. Here  they  captured  a  quantity  of  cloth  intended  for  the  army> 
and  Major  Murray  with  about  thirty  soldiers.  On  February  19th, 
General  Lacey  ordered  Lieutenant  Vanhorn  of  Southampton,  to 
watch  the  enemy  on  the  Bristol,  Smithfield,  Old  York  and  White- 
marsh  roads.  A  little  later,  a  drove  of  a  hundred  cattle  were  cap- 
tured while  crossing  the  lower  end  of  Bucks  county  on  its  way  to 
Washington's  camp.    In  April,  a  party  of  British  advanced  to  Bristol 


♦Note  by  the  Editor. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  75 

and  captured  Colonel  Penrose  and  several  other  officers.  On  April, 
26th,  a  party  of  Northampton  teamsters  left  General  Lacey's  camp 
near  Hatborongh  and  after  proceeding  about  a  mile  on  the  County 
Line  Road  were  surprised  and  captured. 

During  the  British  occupation,  the  British  entered  Bensalem  with 
the  purpose  of  conducting  Joseph  Galloway's  goods  to  the  city.  For 
this  purpose  they  impressed  wagons  and  teamsters  of  the  locality. 
On  their  return  to  the  city,  they  were  annoyed  by  General  Lacey's 
men  who  hung  on  their  rear.  They  did  not  dare  to  attack  them, 
however,  and  returned  to  the  Galloway  mansion  and  shot  several 
bullets  into  the  eaves  of  the  house.  A  load  of  butter,  eggs,  poultry 
and  produce  was  taken  by  someone  of  the  neighborhood  to  the  city 
under  the  British  protection.  The  produce  was  sold  and  the  pro- 
ceeds invested  in  salt  which  was  then  very  scarce.  By  this  means 
much  money  was  gained. 

This  seems  to  have  been  a  constant  practice  with  the  inhabitants. 
Whenever  a  British  force  would  invade  a  district,  it  would  be  fol- 
lowed on  its  retreat  to  the  city  by  one  or  more  wagons  bearing  pro- 
duce. Indeed;  this  business  was  so  profitable  that  great  risks  of  cap- 
ture were  run  in  its  pursuit.  At  one  time  Isaac  Ryan  of  Moreland, 
in^  Montgomery  county,  made  one  of  these  expeditions  to  the  city 
with  a  very  fast  horse.  He  reached  the  city  in  safety,  but,  on  re- 
turning with  a  bag  of  salt,  was  discovered  and  pursued.  To  escape, 
he  had  to  cast  away  his  salt.  His  horse  was  ruined.  At  another 
time  John  Tomlinson,  while  on  a  similar  journey  to  the  city,  was 
captured  near  Germantown.  He  was  stripped,  tied  to  a  tree  and 
pelted  with  his  own  eggs.  He  was  given  a  very  ragged  suit  and 
forced  thus  to  return  home. 

To  stop  this  illegal  trade  seems  to  have  been  the  chief  duty  of  such 
men  as  Howard,  Dover  and  especially  Allan  McLane.  The  latter 
operated  mostly  within  eight  or  ten  miles  of  the  city  and  from  the 
nature  of  his  task  was  often  led  into  amusing  as  well  as  dangerous 
situations.  At  one  time,  while  going  down  the  Bristol  Pike,  he  was 
surprised  near  Cedar  Hill  by  a  large  party  of  British  in  ambush. 
Quickly  turning,  he  galloped  over  the  fields  only  to  encounter  a  larger 
force  of  the  enemy.  By  advancing  toward  these  as  if  to  surrender, 
they  were  thrown  off  their  guard.  Under  this  advantage,  he  quickly 
turned  toward  Oxford  Pike  and  galloped  toward  Fox  Chase.  The 
British  now  sent  two  horsemen  in  pursuit.  These  overtook  Mc- 
Lane. With  his  pistol,  he  shot  one  and  knocked  the  other  from  his 
horse  and  escaped.  At  another  time,  he  was  surprised  when  leaving- 
the  Rising  Sun  Tavern,  where  he  had  been  consulting  with  a  patriot 
from  Philadelphia  disguised  as  a  woman.  Galloping  toward  the 
enemy,  he  ordered  his  imaginary  troops  to  charge.  Firing  his  pistol 
in  the  face  of  the  captain,  he  escaped.  He  would  often  send  one  of 
his  men,  disguised  as  a  countryman  with  produce,  to  the  city  to  ob- 
tain information.  When  on  such  an  errand,  it  was  thought  ?n  ex- 
cellent joke  to  sell  to  the  British  horse  flesh  for  beef. 

The  Marquis  de  Lafavette  crossed  the  township,  stopping  at  Lang- 
horne,  on  his  way  to  Bethlehem,  after  being  wounded  at  Chadd's 
Ford.     He  is  also  popularly  supposed  to  have  lived  in  the  old  log^ 


76 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


house  just  north  of  the  Pennypack  Creek  on  the  Bristol  Pike.  An- 
other tradition  connects  him  with  Cresson's  Corner.  It  is  said 
that  he  rode  out  to  the  Red  Lion  and  with  an  aide  continued  his 
ride  into  Byberry.  Stopping  at  the  house  of  Chamberlain,  he  asked 
for  supper.  After  supper  was  served,  Lafayette  pulled  from  his 
pocket  a  handful  of  coins,  telling  the  woman  to  take  the  price  of 
the  supper.  Upon  her  refusing  to  accept  anything,  he  threw  down 
a  half  sovereign. 

In  concluding  this  note,  it  will  be  well  to  make  a  few  extracts  from 
the  diary  of  Henry  Tomlinscn  of  Bensalem. 

"1775,  May  i8lh — ^Joseph  Cox  went  to  learn  the  military  trade  at 
the  Red  Lion. 

1775,  August  5th — A  great  muster  among  the  soldiers. 

1776,  May  3d  and  4th — Great  guns  fired  down  the  river. 
1776,  July  21  St — The  soldiers  in  Bensalem  set  off  for  Trenton. 
1776,  August  24th — The  Americans  and  Regulars  fighting  on  Long 

Island. 

1776,  October  3d— The  Rebels  after  Gilbert  Hicks. 

1776,  December  31st — Two  soldiers  came  here  and  inquired  the  way 
to  Newtown. 

'^m,  January  2d  and  3d — Terrible  fighting  at  Trenton.  The  can- 
non roared  like  thunder. 

^717 i  June  24th — N.  W.  and  two  soldiers  took  away  two  horses 
out  of  the  plough. 

'^m,  July  3d — The  soldiers  went  by  Byberry  Meeting  House 
and  shot  off  many  guns  as  they  went. 

'^in,  July  31st — Heard  of  the  English  fleet  being  in  the  Delaware. 

1778,  January  4th — The  soldiers  took  away  one  bull  and  one  heifer 
from  me. 

1778,  January  8th — Sharp  firing  toward  Philadelphia. 

1778,  March  6th — Much  wheat  and  hay  burnt. 

1778,  March  15th — A  horse  taken  by  the  soldiers. 

1778,  March  27 — A  mare  taken  by  the  soldiers  for  the  use  of  the 
Continental  Armv. 

1778,  April  8th— The  English  at  Smithfield. 

1778,  April  13th — Much  shooting  toward  Philadelphia. 

1778,  April  17th — The  English  ranging  at  Bristol  and  in  Bensalem. 

1778,  June  i8th— The  English  left  Philadelphia. 

1780,  April  3d — Heard  of  Benjamin  Gilbert  and  family  being  taken 
captive  by  the  Indians  and  had  his  house  and  mill  burnt  by  them. 

1780.  August  17th — Had  .a  horse  taken  out  of  the  plough  for  the 
wagon  by  J.  N. 

1780.  November  33th — Distressed  for  fines  by  A.  L  45  bushels 
of  corn  and  25  of  buclcwheat.  and  took  ^300  in  Continental  money 
beside. 

1781,  May  24th — The  lower  battalion  met  at  the  Four-lanes-end 
(Langhorne).  It  is  called  a  field  day  among  the  militia.  Adieu  to 
Continental  money  six  hundred  for  one — ^not  worth  having  at  that 
rate. 

1 781,  August  30th — General  Washington  went  to  Philadelphia, 
escorted  by  40  or  50  men — rode  sword  in  hand  as  a  guard." 


BYBERRY  AND  MOREL  AND.  77 

Before  closing  this  part  of  our  history,  we  propose  to 
notice  some  of  the  customs  of  the  people  at  or  about  the 
commencement  of  the  contest.  The  section  of  which  we 
are  writing  the  history  had  long  since  ceased  to  be  a  wil- 
derness, and  fine  farms  and  fertile  fields  occupied  the  place 
of  what  was  once  lonely  plains.  The  industrious  white 
settlers  had  continued  to  increase,  not  only  in  numbers  but 
in  enterprise,  until  they  had  reclaimed  the  whole  of  the 
land;  while  the  "red  men  of  the  forest,"  thus  crowded 
out,  had  left  the  homes  of  their  forefathers  and  moved 
onward  toward  the  setting  sun.  These  last  had  indeed 
sold  out  all  their  possessions  to  William  Penn;  but  the 
lands  thus  given  up  had  been  the  home  of  their  childhood^ 
and  most  of  the  important  deeds  of  their  youth  had  been 
enacted  there.  These  lovely  spots — their  native  grounds 
— around  which  so  much  that  was  pleasant  clustered,  were- 
annually  visited  by  them ;  and  when  the  storms  and  chill- 
ing winds  of  winter  had  passed  away,  and  the  spring,  with 
her  life-giving  breath,  had  clothed  the  earth  with  buds  and 
blossoms,  these  rude  sons  of  the  West  were  sure  to  come, 
bringing  with  them  the  earthly  wealth  they  possessed,  to 
remain  during  the  summer  on  the  very  spot  where  their 
early  days  had  been  spent.  But  as  year  succeeded  year, 
and  these  little  bands  continued  to  arrive,  it  was  plainly 
visible  to  all  that  the  ruthless  hand  of  time  was  gradually 
removing  them  to  another  w^orld,  and  in  a  few  years  more 
none  remained  to  keep  up  this  custom.  During  such  visits 
they  occupied  the  orchard  belonging  to  Thomas  Walms- 
ley,  and  lately  owned  by  Charles  Walmsley,^^  subsisted 
upon  what  game  they  could  obtain  from  the  woods  and 

"This  is  now  the  property  of  Elijah  Osmond. 


78  THE  HISTORY  OF 

waters,  and  the  charities  of  their  white  friends  around 
them.^s 

They  roamed  about  the  woods  shooting  small  game 
with  their  bows  and  arrows,  or  along  the  streams  in  quest 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  waters.  Frogs,  fish,  and  turtles 
were  much  sought  after  by  them,  and  even  the  land  tor- 
toises did  not  escape,  for  they  furnished  many  a  feast  to 
the  Indian  and  his  family.  They  looked  upon  the  land 
as  still  belonging  to  them,  and  always  felt  a  freedom  to 
help  themselves  to  everything  they  met  with  in  their  ram- 
l)les.  We  have  no  accounts  of  their  having  disturbed  any 
of  the  people,  for  they  considered  the  whites  as  their 
l)rothers,  and  ever  held  them  in  the  greatest  respect.  It 
is  said  that  the  last  Indians  who  lived  in  the  townships, 
were  the  two  squaws,  who  were  buried  in  the  old  grave- 
yard at  Byberry  Meeting,  near  the  large  cedar  tree  in  the 
centre  of  the  place.*^ 

With  the  disappearance  of  this  race,  and  the  conversion 

**  The  Indians  appear  to  have  been  exceedingly  cunning.  My 
friend,  Mahlon  Carver,  tells  the  story  of  some  Indians  who  stopped 
at  Byberry  Cross  Roads  for  whiskey.  They  had  a  two-gallon  jug 
in  which  was  already  one  gallon  of  water.  Telling  the  proprietor 
it  was  whiskey,  they  had  him  put  a  gallon  of  good  whiskey  into  the 
jug.  Asking  for  credit  and  being  refused,  they  ordered  the  propri- 
etor to  remove  the  whiskey  from  the  jug.  Continuing  on  to  Bus- 
tleton,  they  repeated  the  same  manoeuvre.  This  made  the  whiskey 
three-fourths  pure  and  fit  to  drink. 

*•  About  this  time,  there  resided  in  Ezra  Townsend's  mill  an 
Indian  called  Taminy,  who  was  engaged  in  collecting  hides,  making 
"baskets,  hunting,  fishing,  etc.,  in  the  neighborhood.  Before  his  death, 
Tie  made  Ezra  Townsend  promise  that  he  would  bury  him  under  a 
certain  tree  on  his  property  and  keep  a  fence  around  the  grave. 
Ezra  Townsend  faithfully  kept  the  promise.  But  at  his  decease, 
his  son,  John,  allowed  the  fence  to  be  neglected.  Cattle  broke  into 
the  inclosure  and  on  the  next  night,  it  is  said,  Taminy  appeared  to 
John  reminding  him  of  his  obligation  which  was  long  afterward 
faithfully  fulfilled. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  79 

of  their  hunting-grounds  into  agricultural  districts,  the 
wild  animals  gradually  disappeared.  Wild  turkeys,  at 
first  so  numerous,  were  rarely  seen  after  the  Revolution. 
Bears,  wolves,  and  wild-cats,  also,  had  sought  safer  places 
of  retreat,  or  been  destroyed  by  the  inhabitants.  Unceas- 
ing war  had  been  waged  against  these  animals,  and  partic- 
ularly the  wolves,  as  they  had  been  so  troublesome  in  de- 
stroying the  sheep  and  hogs  belonging  to  the  inhabitants. 
Smaller  game,  however,  seems  to  have  been  plenty;  and 
we  find  accounts  of  myriads  of  pigeons  frequenting  this 
section.  In  1764,  they  became  so  plenty  that  two  young 
men,  having  no  other  employment,  knit  a  net  and  com- 
menced operations  early  in  the  autumn  of  that  year.  They 
were  successful,  and  by  the  first  of  the  following  April 
had  caught  over  twelve  thousand,  which  were  disposed 
of  in  Philadelphia  at  about  eight  cents  per  dozen. 

If  we  were  but  to  glance  back  at  the  condition  of  the 
country  only  a  few  years  previous,  great  indeed  would  be 
the  changes  to  be  observed ;  and  it  is  quite  probable  that  in 
no  one  thing  had  those  changes  been  greater  than  in  the 
erection  of  buildings.  The  old  mode  of  constructing 
houses  by  means  of  logs,  and  but  one  story  high,  continued 
in  repute  until  about  the  year  1700,  when  some  of  the 
more  enterprising  commenced  to  erect  houses  of  stone, 
and  to  make  them  two  stories  high.  The  last  of  the  old 
log  houses  stood  upon  James  Thornton's  property,^"  and 
was  torn  down  only  a  few  years  since.  Some  of  the  first 
of  the  stone  houses  are  still  standing.  Among  these  are 
the  old  Gilbert  mansion  in  Byberry,  now  occupied  by 

*"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Jesse  Tomlinson. 


80  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Thomas  James,^^  built  in  1708,  and  tLe  mansion,  late  the 
residence  of  Franklin  Comly,  Esq.,  in  Moreland,  built  in 
1702.^2  The  house  on  Thomas  Townsend's  farm^^  was 
built  previous  to  17 12,  by  James  Carver.  It  was  one  and 
a  half  stories  high,  hip-roofed,  and  built  of  stone.  It  has 
since  been  materially  altered.  The  houses  of  William 
Walmsley  (now  Edwin  Tomlinson's),  John  Carver, 
Thomas  Townsend,  Jacob  Eckfeldt,  and  Reuben  Parry, 
in  Byberry,  and  those  of  Henry  Brous,  Charles  Tillyer, 
and  Jacob  Saurman,  in  Moreland,^"*  are  quite  ancient,  al- 
though some  of  them  have  been  modernized  in  their  ap- 
pearance. Those  belonging  to  Charles  Tillyer  and  Jacob 
Saurman  were  built  previous  to  1720,  and  not  having 
been  materially  altered  since,  furnish  good  specimens  of 
the  antique  style  of  those  days.  The  furniture  in  use  was 
of  the  plainest  kind,  and  the  floors  were  without  any  car- 
pets. The  food  of  the  inhabitants  consisted  principally 
of  such  articles  as  were  produced  on  their  farms,  and  but 
few  luxuries,  even  such  as  are  now  to  be  met  with  in  the 
most  humble  stations,  were  then  to  be  had.  The  more 
common,  yet  indispensable  articles,  were  cheaper  than  at 
present.  Molasses  sold  for  twenty  cents  per  gallon,  salt 
twenty  to  twenty-five  cents  per  bushel;  but  sugar  was 
worth  fifteen  to  twenty  cents  per  pound.  Beef  was  four 
cents  per  pound,  rum  fourteen  cents  a  quart,  and  sheep- 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  the  heirs  of  Thomas  James. 

"This  date  should  be  1704. 

"This  property  is  now  owned  by  E.  Morris  Townsend. 

"  The  Henry  Brous  property  is  now  owned  by  T.  Miles  Brous, 
that  of  Charles  Tillyer  by  Charles  Saurman,  and  that  of  Jacob 
Saurman  by  Ira  and  Elizabeth  Saurman. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  8 1 

skins  $1.75  a  dozen.  About  the  year  1750  the  more 
wealthy  began  to  adopt  the  fashions  and  customs  of  Phila- 
delphia. Silk  and  linen  handkerchiefs,  silk  for  ladies' 
gowns,  and  fustian  or  cotton  velvet  for  coats,  were  intro- 
duced soon  afterward,  but  the  general  article  of  clothing 
for  both  men  and  women  was  the  ''linsey-woolsey"  made 
by  the  frugal  housewife.  The  men  wore  breeches  only 
coming  to  their  knees;  but  these  as  well  as  their  shoes 
were  often  ornamented  with  silver  buckles  of  elaborate 
workmanship.  As  late  as  1760,  workingmen  wore  panta- 
loons having  no  falling  flaps,  but  slits  in  front.  They 
were  so  large  that  when  the  seats  were  worn  out  the 
back  part  was  taken  for  the  front,  and  by  this  means  were 
made  to  last  much  longer.  Some  of  the  gentlemen  carried 
muffs  to  keep  their  hands  and  wrists  warm ;  and  the  more 
elderly  women  wore  bonnets  made  of  black  silk,  which, 
when  on  the  head,  is  said  to  have  looked  much  like  the  top 
of  a  Jersey  wagon,  and  hence  were  denominated  "wagon 
bonnets." 

In  1744,  breeches  made  of  plush  and  lined  with  sheep- 
skin were  in  use,  although  many  buckskin  breeches  con- 
tinued to  be  worn  in  Philadelphia  by  men  of  rank,  and 
sheepskin  was  worn  by  boys  as  late  as  1760,  and  in  the 
country  until  after  the  Revolution.  These  leather  dresses 
were  warm  and  comfortable,  and  were  very  durable.  One 
man  tried  to  wear  a  pair  out,  but  after  many  years  of  con- 
stant effort,  he  at  last  despaired  of  his  purpose  and  cut 
them  into  flail-strings.  Breeches  went  out  of  fashion  in 
the  early  part  of  the  present  century.  Before  they  disap- 
peared the  name  had  become  scarcely  tolerable  in  refined 
society,  and  those  made  of  buckskin  were  contemptuously 
6 


82  THE  HISTORY  OF 

called  "leather  organs."  Tea  and  coffee  were  introduced 
about  this  time,  but  were  at  first  used  only  by  the  more 
^vealthy,  and  then  only  on  Sundays.  Instead  of  these 
articles,  people  made  tea  from  garden  herbs,  and  subse- 
quently, during  the  Revolution,  when  tea  could  not  be 
obtained,  they  used  the  Ceanothus  Americana  (New  Jer- 
■sey  tea),  a  plant  growing  abundantly  in  many  localities, 
from  which  a  harmless  beverage  was  made.  In  the  place 
of  coffee,  rye  and  wheat — but  particularly  the  former — 
^ere  used,  and  furnished  a  cheap  drink  for  all  classes.^^ 
The  children  were  not  so  carefully  dressed  as  at  the 
present  time ;  and  the  most  of  them,  both  male  and  female, 
Avent  barefoot  about  half  the  year.  Some  of  the  more 
saving  of  the  farmers  usually  went  without  shoes,  and 
when  going  to  market  carried  them  in  their  hands  until 
they  reached  the  city,  when  they  put  them  on  and  wore 
them  until  they  got  beyond  the  city's  limits  on  their  way 
Tiome ;  they  were  then  taken  off,  and  carried  the  remaining 
distance.^^  Many  curious  customs  were  in  vogue  at  this 
time.  Umbrellas  had  not  come  into  use,  and  on  rainy 
days  it  was  the  custom  for  men  to  wear  long  oil-cloth 
cloaks;  oil-cloth  covers  for  hats  and  bonnets  were  also 
•common.  Low-crowned  hats  were  at  first  in  use,  but 
Avhen  the  crowns  were  raised,  the  covers  were  carried  in 
them,  ready  in  case  of  an  emergency.  In  moderate 
weather  men  frequently  wore  overcoats  to  meeting  when 
there  was  any  appearance  of  rain.     On  one  occasion  a 

*°  Rye  was  extensively  used  as  a  substitute  for  coffee  during  our 
late  Civil  War. 

"  This  custom  was  still  in  vogue  in  parts  of  Bucks  County  until 
within  a  few  years. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  83 

shower  came  up  rather  unexpectedly,  and  none  were  pro- 
vided with  a  great-coat  except  Edward  Parry,  who,  on 
being  asked  how  it  was  that  he  had  one,  said,  "Because  i 
-was  wise." 

When  umbrellas  were  first  introduced  it  was  considered 
;a  disgrace  to  be  seen  carrying  one,  and  it  was  a  long  time 
before  they  came  into  general  use. 

About  this  time  (1770)  it  was  customary  to  hold  fairs 
at  different  places  in  the  fall  and  spring,  which  were  at- 
tended by  a  numerous  concourse  of  people,  both  male  and 
female.  These  were  sometimes  held  at  Philadelphia,  and 
at  others  at  the  smaller  towns,  as  Frankford,  Bristol,  etc. 
Many  went  to  make  purchases,  and  others  to  see  what 
was  going  on,  but  by  far  the  greater  number  for  fun  and 
frolic.  Horse  racing,  dancing,  drinking,  stealing,  and 
gambling,  were  carried  on,  and  eventually  were  the  cause 
of  their  discontinuance.  At  a  fair  held  at  Bristol,  a 
Frenchman  was  caught  while  stealing  a  plug  of  tobacco, 
and  was  put  in  the  stocks  and  subjected  to  the  scoffs  and 
jeers  of  the  crowd.  The  young  men,  when  the  day  was 
propitious,  went  to  the  fair  by  hundreds,  each  "with  a 
bonnie  lassie  by  his  side."  They  were  generally  in  their 
shirt  sleeves,  with  their  coats  tied  behind  the  saddle,  and 
had  on  thin-soled  shoes  in  which  to  trip  the  "light  fan- 
tastic toe."  They  wore  two  pair  of  stockings,  the  inner 
one  being  white  and  the  outer  one  made  of  colored  yarn, 
with  the  top  turned  down  so  as  to  exhibit  the  inner  pair 
and  guard  it  from  the  dirt.  Boots  were  not  introduced 
until  many  years  afterwards. 

In  those  days  the  living  was  very  different  from  what 
it  is  now,  and  visitors  were  usually  treated  with  mush  and 


84  THE  HISTORY  OF 

milk,  apple  and  peach  pies,  cheevSe  curds,  home-made  wine, 
and  sugar,  custards,  etc.  This  was  good,  wholesome  fare, 
and  some  of  it  would  not  be  bad  to  take  at  the  present 
time,  particularly  when  one's  appetite  is  sharpened  by  a 
previous  fast. 

Many  of  the  people  at  that  time  were  unacquainted  with 
the  arts  and  sciences,  and  when  anything  occurred  for 
which  they  could  not  offer  a  satisfactory  explanation,  it 
was  attributed  to  the  marvellous  and  the  supernatural. 
Some  firmly  believed  in  witchcraft,  but  we  have  no  ac- 
count of  any  one  having  been  punished  on  account  of  be- 
ing a  reputed  witch.  Many  tales  of  witches  have  been 
related  and  many  a  poor  woman  had  the  common  fame  of 
being  a  witch,  eighty  or  one  hundred  years  ago.  What 
may  now  appear  a  strange  fancy,  the  spirits  always  se- 
lected the  poor,  thin,  old,  wrinkled  women  as  their  sub- 
jects, while  they  carefully  avoided  the  young  and  hand- 
some, the  lady  of  wealth  and  fashion,  and  the  "sterner 
sex,"  whether  of  high  or  low  origin.  One  would  suppose 
that  it  was  enough  to  bear  the  evils  of  time  and  the  many 
infirmities  of  age,  without  the  ills  following  in  the  train 
of  witches,  but  as  troubles  are  said  never  to  come  alone, 
what  else  ought  we  to  expect  than  when  the  sunburnt 
faces  became  wrinkled  with  old  age,  the  temper  soured  by 
the  cares  and  troubles  of  time,  when  the  teeth  had  fallen 
from  their  sockets,  the  cheeks  lost  their  youthful  bloom, 
the  head  whitened  by  the  storms  of  many  winters,  and  the 
frail  beings  borne  down  to  the  very  brink  of  the  grave, 
that  they  should  be  seized  by  the  pestiferous  spirits  who 
manifested  their  presence  in  trying  their  charms  upon  the 
young  people  of  the  place,  exhibiting  strange  and  unac- 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  85 

countable  affection  for  man  or  beast,  haunting  the  abodes 
of  the  timid  and  making  unhappy  the  hves  of  the  nervous. 
All  the  evils  that  befell  the  people  were  charged  to  their 
influence,  and  they  were  persecuted  for  crimes  that 
wrought  no  sympathy  and  of  which  they  had  no  knowl- 
edge. Ghosts,  spirits,  and  apparitions  were  objects  of  fear 
and  apprehension.  Many  would  go  a  long  distance  around 
rather  than  pass  a  burying  ground  at  night,  and  places 
dark  and  gloomy,  said  to  be  haunted,  were  carefully 
shunned.  A  few  persons  more  resolute  than  their  neigh- 
bors generally,  sometimes  caught  the  ghosts  and  horse- 
whipped them  so  effectually  as  in  the  language  of  the  boys 
to  make  them  ''hollar."  Sorceries  and  incantations  were 
in  high  repute;  and  "witch  doctors,"  both  male  and 
female,  often  enjoyed  a  fair  share  of  public  patronage. 

♦Belief  in  witchcraft,  during  the  earl}'  days  of  Byberry,  was  ex- 
ceedingly common.  It  extended  not  only  to  the  poorer  and  more 
ignorant  classes,  but  to  the  more  influential  and  intelligent.  Belief 
in  the  absurdity  existed  as  late  as  1825. 

Mahlon  Carver's  father,  John  Carver,  was  once  sitting  on  a  log, 
by  the  roadside,  beside  Mary  Comly,  when  Annie  Dougherty  chanced 
to  pass.  Annie  Dougherty,  an  old  Irish  woman,  was  reputed  to  be  a 
witch.  They  therefore  kept  perfectly  quiet  until  the  woman  had 
passed  lest  she  should  cast  a  spell  upon  them. 

At  another  time  a  young  man  of  Byberry  was  taken,  ill  with 
severe  pains  in  the  breast.  He  went  to  a  conjurer  in  Bensalem 
who  said  \he  young  man  had  six  wedges  secreted  beneath  the  ribs. 
The  conjurer,  on  the  young  man's  second  visit,  informed  him  that 
he  had  removed  two  of  the  wedges  and  that,  with  careful  treat- 
ment, he  could  remove  the  other  four.  Fortunately  the  young  man 
became  conscious  of  his  folly  and  discontinued  his  visits. 

At  another  time,  General  Willits,  who  was  engaged  in  construct- 
ing the  bridge  across  the  Neshaminy  Creek  on  the  Byberry  and 
Bensalem  Turnpike,  had  a  shovel  stolen  from  him.  He  suspected 
a  negro  whom  he  employed.  In  the  negro's  presence,  he  told  his 
men  that  he  had  gone  to  the  conjurer  who  told  him  that  a  black  man 
had  stolen  the  shovel  and  that  it  would  become  red  hot  within  the 
culprit's  stomach,  if  it  were  not  returned  before  the  next  morning. 
The  shovel  was  returned. 

*Note  by  the  Editor. 


86  THE  HISTORY  OF 

At  still  another  time,  Captain  Vansant,  who  built  the  bridge  across 
the  Poquessing  on  the  Byberry  and  Bensalem  Turnpike,  while  re- 
turning from  Byberry  Cross  Roads  with  some  stove  rods,  was  met 
by  an  apparition  in  the  person  of  Andre  States.  The  Captain  used 
the  stove  rods  and  felled  the  fellow  to  the  ground.  This  gho^t 
was  never  seen  again. 

For  the  above  information  concerning  the  superstition  of  the 
people,  I  am  indebted  to  Mahlon  Carver.  He  also  mentions  the 
name  of  a  young  man  of  that  day,  who  is  still  living,  and  who  was 
believed  by  the  negroes  to  have  dealings  with  the  evil  spirits  of  the 
Neshaminy  caves.  They  once  asked  him  if  he  had  ever  entered 
these  caves.  "Yes,  often,"  said  he.  Then  he  went  on  to  tell  them  the 
impossible  wonders  he  had  experienced.  As  he  was  returning  one 
evening  from  a  visit,  a  shower  arose  and  he  took  temporary  shelter 
with  some  negroes  who  were  conducting  a  religious  meeting  in  a 
house  near  by.  As  the  room  was  very  warm,  he  made  a  gesture  to  have 
the  door  opened.  The  negro,  mistaking  the  meaning,  thought  that 
some  one  was  without  awaiting  admission.  He  opened  the  door 
and  went  out  to  receive  the  newcomer ;  but  instead  the  negro  was 
accosted  by  the  savage  growl  of  a  huge  black  dog  which  the  negroes'" 
superstitions  converted  into  the  devil.  They  thought  that  he  had 
been  led  to  the  m.eeting  by  the  yoimg  man  with  the  purpose  of  captur- 
ing one  of  them.  The  incident  caused  the  greatest  excitement  among^ 
the  negroes  and  was  remembered  for  years. 

Regular  physicians  had  not  then  settled  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  patent  medicine  venders  were  unknown,  sq 
that  most  of  the  diseases  were  either  treated  by  women 
doctors — those  good  old  souls  who  are  still  found  in  every 
neighborhood  and  are  always  ready  to  wait  upon  the  sick 
or  distressed — or  the  "charm  doctors,"  as  they  were  fre- 
quently called.  The  old  women  generally  resorted  to  teas,, 
etc.,  made  out  of  garden  vegetables ;  but  when  the  patient 
got  very  bad,  some  skilful  son  of  ^sculapius  from  Frank- 
ford,  Germantown,  or  Bristol,  was  called  in  and  paid  a  few 
visits,  which  often  served  to  check  the  disease.  The  influ- 
ence of  the  moon  was  considered  to  be  a  settled  thing ;  and 
all  important  acts,  such  as  planting  seed,  putting  in  the 
crops,  cutting  timber,  killing  beef  or  pork,  etc.,  were  made 
to  correspond  with  the  signs,  phases,  etc.,  of  the  moon. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  8/ 

We  cannot,  however,  wonder  at  all  this,  for  but  few  had 
enjoyed  the  privilege  of  attending  school,  or  had  had  any 
opportunity  afforded  them  for  becoming  better  informed.. 
Schools  were  very  few  in  number,  and  these  few  most 
miserably  conducted,  the  teachers  often  being  but  poorly 
qualified  for  the  business.  Another  great  want  was  books,, 
which  were  but  indifferently  suited  to  the  purpose,  and 
very  expensive  into  the  bargain.  We  find  it  stated  that  a 
school  had  been  established  in  Moreland  some  time  pre- 
vious to  this,  but  no  account  of  it  or  its  teachers  has  been 
met  with.  Byberry  had  but  the  one  school,  which  was  at 
the  Meeting  House,  and  under  the  control  of  Friends. 
This  was  kept  up  most  of  the  time  from  171 1,*  but  the 
number  of  scholars  in  attendance  was  usually  small.  Only 
the  most  common  branches  were  taught,  such  as  readings 
writing  and  arithmetic,  as  far  as  *Tractice;"  and  those 
who  could  write  a  legible  hand  and  perform  an  example 
in  "Double  Rule  of  Three,"  were  looked  upon  as  having  a 
good  education.  This  school  at  that  time  was  one  of  the 
best  in  the  country,  and  its  ef^ciency  may  be  attributed  ta 
the  fact  of  its  having  been  under  the  care  of  Byberry  Pre- 
parative A'leeting,  in  which  great  interest  for  the  welfare 
of  the  youth  was  always  manifested. 

Connected  with  this  superstitious  age  were  marvellous 
accounts  of  apparitions,  ominous  sights,  and  strange  oc- 
currences, and  these  were  generally  made  the  subjects  of 

*  The  following  are  the  names  of  teachers  engaged  in  Byberrjr 
from  171 1  to  1784:  Richard  Brockden.  William  Davis,  John  Wat- 
more,  Roger  Bragg.  Josiah  Ellis,  John  Pear,  Walter  Moore,  Thomas 
Horner,  Patrick  Kelley,  Joseph  Walton,  Isaac  Carver,  Benjamin 
Gilbert,  Jr.,  Mahlon  Carver,  Thomas  Marshall,  and  Benjamin  Kite. 
Joseph  Walton  remained  fifteen  years  and  Benjamin  Kite  eight 
years. 


88  THE  HISTORY  OF 

conversation  during  the  long  winter  evenings  when  they 
were  gathered  around  the  fireside  in  social  intercourse. 
The  neighbors  often  met  at  these  gatherings,  when  the 
mug  of  cider  and  plate  of  apples  went  freely  round,  and 
many  a  romantic  adventure  in  pursuit  of  bears,  wild-cats, 
raccoons,  turkeys,  &c.,  and  many  an  interesting  detail 
of  the  prodigious  achievements  of  some  Samson  in  felling 
the  forests,  husking  the  corn,  or  reaping  the  harvests, 
was  related,  to  the  infinite  delight  and  satisfaction  of  the 
younger  members  present,  who,  with  gaping  counte- 
nances, eagerly  drank  them  in  as  they  fell  from  the  lips 
of  the  narrators.  As  but  few  books  or  papers  were  then  to 
be  had,  much  more  traditionary  matter  was  handed  down 
than  at  present,  and  social  feelings  were  more  fostered 
as  a  matter  of  necessity. 

It  appears  that,  for  some  years  previous  to  the  Revolu- 
tion, the  people  of  Byberry  had  become  interested  in  the 
cause  of  civil  liberty,  and  were  ready  to  resist  what  they 
considered  any  encroachments  on  their  rights  as  citizens 
by  all  the  means  consistent  with  their  professed  principles. 
The  inhabitants  of  both  townships  attended  the  elections 
in  Philadelphia,  and  most  of  them  belonged  to  what  was 
known  as  the  ^'Assembly  Party,"  in  opposition  to  that  of 
the  Proprietors,  to  which  the  city  people  generally  belong- 
ed. At  these  elections  disputes  frequently  arose,  and  in 
1 742  they  came  to  blows,  when  some  of  the  Byberry  and 
Moreland  people,  along  with  others  from  the  country, 
were  driven  from  the  polls ;  but,  arming  themselves  with 
clubs,  they  returned  and  cudgeled  the  city  party  without 
mercy.  At  these  elections  there  was  often  much  dififi- 
culty  about  voting,  owing  to  the  great  numbers  present; 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  89 

and,  on  one  occasion,  it  is  said  that  an  old  man  from  By- 
berry,  who  could  not  get  near  enough  to  vote,  came  home 
and  went  all  the  way  back  again  the  next  day  for  that 
purpose.^ ''^ 

Prior  to  1780  but  few  stores  had  been  kept  in  Byberry, 
and  storekeeping  was  very  profitable.  Giles  Knight  was 
the  first  who  engaged  in  the  business;  but,  when  James 
Thornton  came  over  from  England,  he  brought  some 
books  for  sale,  and  soon  after  conceived  the  idea  of  start- 
ing a  store  in  Byberry.  It  proved  to  be  very  profitable, 
and  he  and  his  family  continued  in  the  business  for  the 
next  forty  years.  It  is  said  that  he  cleared  £6,000  in 
twelve  years  by  the  business."'"'^'^ 

We  find  that  the  people  of  these  townships  were  not 
behind  their  neighbors  in  adopting  improvements  in  agri- 
culture. It  had  formerly  been  the  custom  to  sow  wheat 
among  the  corn,  after  which  the  latter  was  cleared  of¥; 
but  this  practice  was  given  up,  and  the  ground  where  the 
corn  had  been  the  previous  year  was  broken  up  and  sown 
with  wheat.  After  the  custom  of  sowing  oats  was  intro- 
duced, the  corn  ground  was  broken  up  in  the  spring,  and 
a  crop  of  oats  gathered  before  sowing  the  wheat  in  the  fall. 
This  was  a  great  improvement,  but,  as  the  crop  of  wheat 
sometimes  failed,  some  one  conceived  the  idea  of  sowing 
clover  with  the  oats,  and  allowing  it  to  remain  over  one 
season  before  putting  it  in  with  wheat.  These  two  cus- 
toms have  remained  in  vogue  ever  since.  The  crops  of 
wheat  are  said  to  have  been  very  good,  although  but  little 

"Jesse  Tomlinson,  who  lived  during  the  Revolution  and  early- 
days  of  our  national  existence,  pictures  the  election  and  training 
days  as  days  of  drunkenness,  fighting,  gambling  and  horse  racing. 

°^  This  book  business  was  conducted  at  Byberry  Store. 


90  THE  HISTORY  OF 

manure  was  applied.  Harvesting,  for  a  long  time,  had 
been  done  with  the  sickle;  but,  about  the  year  1750,  the 
scythe  and  cradle  were  introduced.  Many  objections  were 
urged  against  this  innovation  on  an  old  custom,  and  the 
older  farmers  determined  not  to  use  them;  but,  owing 
to  their  so  greatly  facilitating  the  labor  of  harvesting, 
they  finally  came  into  general  use. 

The  first  plows  used  were  of  the  old  English  pattern; 
but  an  improved  article,  with  Dutch  shares  and  wooden 
mould-boards  made  of  cherry,  that  naturally  twisted  in 
the  right  direction,  afterwards  came  into  use.*^^  They 
worked  very  well,  and  would  turn  a  smooth  furrow ;  but 
the  iron  mould-boards  soon  came  up,  and  the  improve- 
ment, being  so  obvious,  they  were  immediately  adopted. 

In  early  times  people  generally  travelled  on  horseback ; 
but  about  the  year  1750  riding  chairs  were  introduced,, 
and,  in  1764,  Byberry  and  Moreland  could  boast  of  three 
vehicles  of  this  kind  only,  kept  for  pleasure. 

Formerly  it  was  customary  at  Byberry  Meeting  for 
people  to  stand  up  when  tired  of  sitting.  When  Samuel 
Sparold  visited  the  meeting  he  observed  in  his  sermon, 
''that  if  every  one  had  to  pay  2d  for  each  time  of  stand- 
ing, he  thought  the  practice  would  not  be  so  common." 
This  custom  soon  after  went  out  of  fashion. 

During  the  Revolutionary  War,  there  was  a  cave  in  the 
woods  now  belonging  to  Jacob  Saurman.^^     In  this  old 

*  A  person  named  Christian  Zentman,  of  Moreland,  Montgomery 
County,  made  most  of  the  plows  with  wooden  mould-boards  used  in 
the  townships.  After  him  Thomas  Miles  started  the  business  at  Fox 
Chase,  and  continued  it  about  sixty  years. 

'"'The  business  is  continued  by  T.  Miles  Brous. 

"^This  property  now  belongs  to  Ira  Saurman  and  his  sister, 
Elizabeth. 


BYFERRY  AND  MORELAND.  9I 

cave  an  old  man  lived  alone  for  many  years,  and  being- 
very  poor,  depended  upon  the  neighbors  for  food  and 
clothing.  Old  Tommy  Helveson's  wife  said  she  frequent- 
ly carried  victuals  to  the  hermit,  who  is  represented  ta 
have  been  very  old,  with  long  white  hair  and  beard,  but 
very  harmless.    Vestiges  of  the  cave  still  remain. 

Upon  examining  a  list  of  the  names  of  the  inhabitants 
of  these  townships  about  the  close  of  the  war,  one  is  much 
surprised  to  find  so  many  unfamiliar  names ;  but  he  is  still 
more  surprised  at  the  absence  of  many  of  those  so  familiar 
as  pioneers  in  the  early  history.  Some  families  had  been 
entirely  removed  by  death,  so  that  not  a  single  representa- 
tive remained;  while  others,  delighting  in  change,  and 
probably  conceiving  that  other  localities  presented  a  bet- 
ter chance  for  them  to  become  wealthy,  had  sold  out  their 
property,  and  moved  to  other  places.  We  find,  among- 
those  who  thus  emigrated,  mention  made  of  several  of 
the  Knights  going  to  West  Jersey,  in  1717;  the  Comlys 
and  Waltons  to  Horsham,  from  1730  to  1740,  and  the 
Scotts  and  Comlys  to  Gunpowder,  Maryland,  in  1756. 
A  few  of  these  subsequently  returned  to  their  native 
place;  but  most  of  them  remained,  and  their  descendants 
may  still  be  found  peopling  those  places. 


92  THE  HISTORY  OF 

THE  FREE  SOCIETY  OF  TRADERS,  NICHOLAS 
MOORE  AND  MORELAND.* 

William  Penn^  on  acquiring  Pennsylvania,  sold  the 
land  on  the  most  liberal  basis.  His  terms  were  these: 
"To  those  who  wished  to  buy  shares  in  the  Province,  he 
gave  5,000  acres  for  £100  and  to  pay  annually  i  shilling 
quit-rent  for  each  hundred  acres,  the  quit-rent  not  to  be- 
gin imtil  1684.  Renters  were  to  pay  i  penny  per  acre 
for  land  not  to  exceed  200  acres.  Persons  who  take 
laborers  were  allowed  50  acres  per  head  and  50  acres  to 
every  person  when  his  time  is  expired."  Under  these 
inducements  was  organized  the  "Free  Society  of  Traders 
in  Pennsylvania." 

In  considering  this  subject  we  will  first  treat  more  dis- 
tinctly of  the  "Society"  itself.  We  will  next  treat  of 
its  president  Nicholas  Moore.  We  will  finally  give  some 
account  of  the  Manor  of  Moreland. 

The  Free  Society  of  Traders  in  Pennsylvania  was 
merely  a  company  of  Bristol  and  London  merchants  who 
purchased  large  tracts  of  land  in  Pennsylvania  with  the 
intention  of  establishing  trade,  agriculture,  manufactur- 
ing, shipbuilding,  fishing  and  all  other  necessary  occupa- 
tions of  a  pioneer  settlement.  They  aimed  at  establishing 
a  self-supporting,  co-operative  community,  where  all 
property  was,  to  a  certain  extent,  to  be  held  in  common. 
According  to  the  intentions  of  the  company  at  its  organi- 
zation in  t68t,  the  Society's  factories  were  to  be  erected 
on  the  Chesapeake  Bay  as  well  as  on  the  Delaware  River. 

♦By  the  Editor. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  93 

An  agent  in  London  was  to  sell  all  goods  including  the 
Indian  products.  There  was  to  be  besides  a  president,  a 
secretary,  treasurer,  surveyor  and  miner.  Nicholas  Moore 
was  chosen  its  president.  Its  other  members  were :  James 
Claypoole,  Philip  Ford,  William  Sherloe,  Edward  Pierce^ 
John  Symcock,  Thomas  Brassey,  John  Sweetapple,  Robert 
Turner,  John  Bezer,  Anthony  Elton,  John  Bennister, 
Walter  King,  Thomas  Barker,  Edward  Brooks,  Francis 
Plumsted,  Francis  Burroughs,  Edward  West,  John  Crow, 
John  Bory,  Joseph  Martin,  Edward  Pelrod,  Thomas 
Holme,  Griffith  Jones,  James  Harrison  and  Isaac  Martin. 
James  Claypoole,  or  Claypole  as  it  is  written,  writing 
home,  says  that  Penn  was  a  member  of  the  Society  and 
that,  besides  his  contribution,  he  gave  the  Society  the  quit- 
rents  on  all  its  lands. 

Speaking  of  the  lands  of  the  Society,  John  Watson 
says:  "They  bought  at  first  20,000  acres  and  their  ap- 
purtenant city  lots  was  an  entire  street  and  on  one  side  of 
a  street  from  river  to  river,  comprising  therein  100  acres, 
exclusive  of  400  acres  besides  in  the  Liberties.  ...  .  They 
set  up  a  glass-house,  a  tan-yard,  a  saw-mill  and  whalery.'^ 
This  original  grant  dates  from  March  24th,  1682.  The 
city  lots  lay  along  both  sides  of  Pine  street  and  extended 
nearly  to  Spruce  and  from  river  to  river.  The  name  of 
Society  Hill  was  given  to  this  section  on  account  of  the 
Free  Society  of  Traders.  Most  of  the  20,000  acres  was 
located  in  Bucks  County.  One  portion  of  the  grant  ex- 
tended into  the  townships  of  Warwick,  New  Britain  and 
Hilltown.  Eight  hundred  acres  of  this  tract  was  after- 
ward purchased  by  Jeremiah  Langhorne.  Another  tract 
of  5,000  acres  lay  along  the  Durham  Creek  and  was  after- 


94  THE  HISTORY  OF 

ward  acquired  by  the  Durham  Company.  The  company, 
like  all  other  co-operative  associations  of  such  a  character, 
soon  dissolved. 

Many  of  its  members,  however,  became  prominent.  Of 
Nicholas  Moore,  we  shall  speak  in  another  place.  James 
Claypoole,  related  to  Oliver  Cromwell,  took  up  lands  in 
Bucks  County.  He  became  a  prominent  merchant  of 
Philadelphia  and  also  an  official  of  Bucks  County.  He 
came  to  Pennsylvania  along  with  his  wife  Helena,  seven 
children  and  servants  on  Captain  Jeffries'  ship,  the  Thom- 
as Arnold,  from  London  on  March  20th,  1686.  Francis 
Plumsted  took  up  lands  in  Bucks  County.  Plumsted 
Township  is  named  in  honor  of  him.  He  was  previously 
an  ironmonger  of  England.  Francis  Burroughs  has  many 
descendants  in  Bucks  County.  Thomas  Holme,  the  sur- 
veyor, took  up  between  two  thousand  and  three  thousand 
acres  in  the  Province.  That  in  Lower  Dublin  amounted 
to  sixteen  hundred  and  forty-six.  James  Harrison,  who 
was  very  influential  and  a  close  friend  of  William  Penn, 
settled  near  Bristol,  Bucks  County. 

The  Society  was  remarkable  for  its  dealings  with  the 
Indian  and  negro.  One  of  the  provisions  in  the  charter 
provided  that  the  "Society  assist  Indians  settling  in  towns 
with  advice  and  artificers."  Another  article  provided  for 
the  freedom  of  slaves  of  the  Society  at  the  expiration  of 
fourteen  years  provided  that  the  slave  thus  freed  give  to 
the  Society  two-thirds  of  all  he  could  produce  on  the  land 
allotted  to  him  with  tools  given  to  him  by  the  Society. 
If  he  should  refuse  this  offer,  then  he  was  to  continue 
tslave  until  he  should  accept  it. 

Penn  appears  to  have  attached  great  importance  to  the 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  95 

Society.  He  often  mentions  it  in  his  letters.  In  1683 
he  sent  a  long  letter  home  to  the  Society  describing  the 
infant  colony  and  its  natural  resources  and  advising  the 
Society  to  introduce,  among  other  things,  the  grape  for 
wine.  The  letter  is  perhaps  the  most  accurate  account 
we  have  of  the  early  resources  and  appearance  of  the 
colony. 

Before  turning  to  an  account  of  Nicholas  Moore,  it 
will  be  well  to  insert  an  account  written  by  Oldmixon,  wlio 
visited  the  colony  in  1708.  Speaking  of  the  Society,  he 
says:  ''Mr.  Pen  sold  20,000  acres  of  his  land  to  James 
Claypool,  Mr.  Nicholas  Moor,  Mr.  Philip  Ford  and  others 
who  formed  a  company  and  had  a  street  and  a  side  of  a 
street  set  out  for  them  in  Philadelphia  with  400  acres  in 
City  Liberties.  They  set  up  a  Tannery,  a  Saw-Mill,  a 
Glass-House,  and  a  Whalery ;  of  the  two  latter  I  suppose 
they  never  made  any  great  hand.  The  proprietor's  con- 
ditions for  purchase  were  these  £20  for  1,000  acres  so  he 
'  put  £400  in  his  pocket  immediately,  but  that  was  a  trifle 
to  what  went  out  of  it  for  the  grant  and  experiments  to 
people  and  settle  the  country.  The  quit-rent  was  12 
(pence)  or  its  value  for  every  100  acres.  This  was  cheap 
enough  but  I  think  the  renters  were  not  so  well  used  for 
they  were  to  pay  12  (pence)  an  acre  yearly.  Thus  these 
20,000  acres  which  he  sold,  the  country  would  if  rented 
have  brought  him  £1,000  a  year." 

Let  us  now  next  consider  Nicholas  Moore.  His  name 
stands  prominent  in  the  early  pages  of  our  history.  Be- 
sides being  president  of  the  Free  vSociety  of  Traders  he 
also  held  many  positions  of  trust  in  the  infant  colony.  He 
has  been  more  fully  considered  in  the  portion  of  the  work 


96  THE  HISTORY  OF 

devoted  to  "Biographical  Sketches."  A  few  remarks 
concerning  him,  however,  will  not  be  improper  in  this 
place. 

In  politics,  I\icholas  Moore  created  bitter  enemies* 
Gordon  says  that  he  was  not  a  Quaker.  This  probably 
explains  his  treatment.  In  the  Minutes  of  Council,  under 
date  of  "i2th  of  6  mo.,  1682,"  is  this  insertion:  "Nich. 
Moore,  President  of  the  Society  of  Free  Traders,  was 
summoned  for  disrespectable  words  uttered  concerning  its 
former  council.  He  made  apology."  In  the  Minutes 
of  Assembly  under  date  of  March  i6th,  1685,  is  this 
statement :  "Nicholas  Moore  for  contempt  of  the  authority 
of  the  house  was  expelled."  In  the  Minutes  of  Council 
under  date  of  15th  of  3  mo.,  1685  (May  15th,  1685) 
occurs  this  statement :  "Three  pages  of  charges  were  made 
against  Judge  Nicholas  Moore,  for  high  crimes  and  mis- 
demeanors. It  was  on  this  occasion  that  Patrick  Robinson 
declared  of  the  Instrument,  that  the  Assembly  in  so  do- 
ing had  made  the  impeachment  at  hab  nab,  for  which  they 
also  desire  satisfaction.  The  Council  resolved  that  thev 
could  not  act  until  he  was  first  convicted  in  Court.  He 
afterward  made  his  submission  and  continued  an  agreed 
time  of  three  months."  This  minute  of  Councils  was 
made  of  course  after  he  had  been  expelled  by  the  Assembly. 
The  Assembly  in  expelling  him  had  drawn  up  a  petition 
of  ten  articles  which  was  sent  to  Penn  in  England.  This 
was  the  petition  mentioned  in  the  Minute  of  Councils.  It. 
appears  to  have  had  no  effect  on  Penn  for,  on  altering  the 
judicial  system,  Moore  was  reappointed  judge  and  was 
ultimately  elected  chief  justice.  His  quarrel  wivh  the 
Assembly  and  Councils  came  to  the  forementioned  focus 


BYRERRY  AND  MORELAND.  9/ 

largely  from  the  fact  that  on  a  single  day  he  three  times 
entered  his  objections  to  acts  that  were  being  passed  with- 
out first  having  been  published  as  required  by  law. 

Nicholas  Moore,  also  written  Moor  and  More,  a  promi- 
nent lawyer  of  London,  became  interested  in  land  in  Phil- 
adelphia County  on  the  7th  of  6  mo.,  1684,  through  the 
purchase  of  a  tract  known  as  the  Manor  of  Moreland,. 
containing  supposedly  9,815  acres.  He  was  to  pay  a 
silver  English  shilling  for  each  hundred  acres. 

It  w^as  found  that  he  had  received  more  land  than  the 
deeds  called  for.  Therefore,  on  July  loth,  1689,  Thomas 
Fairman  was  empowered  to  make  a  new  survey.  On  re- 
survey,  after  deducting  the  necessary  6  acres  to  100  for 
roads,  it  was  found  that  Nicholas  Moore  had  still  about 
500  acres  more  than  the  grant  called  for.  Five  hundred 
acres  were  accordingly  sold  to  Thomas  Fairman  and 
Anne  Salters.  This  strip  was  taken  from  the  northeastern 
border. 

Nicholas  Moore  had  both  a  country  and  city  residence 
His  city  residence  was  on  the  triangular  lot  at  the  south- 
east corner  of  Second  and  Spruce  Streets  on  land  belong- 
ing to  the  Society.  Here  he  lived  during  the  greater  part 
of  his  time.  In  1685,  he  erected  a  manor  house  near  the 
present  village  of  Somerton,  at  a  place  called  Green  Spring 
or  Green  Briar  Spring.  This  was  one  of  the  first,  though 
probably  not  the  first  house  erected  in  Moreland.  It  is  im- 
probable that  a  court-house  or  a  jail  existed  here  as  the 
author  states,  although  he  may  have  heard  local  cases,  or 
imprisoned  a  culprit  in  one  of  the  outhouses  for  a  night. 

His  death  in  1689  was  soon  followed  by  that  of  a  wife, 
Mary,  a  son,  Samuel,  and  a  daughter,  Rebecca.     Three 
7 


98  THE  HISTORY  OF 

children  survived.  These  were:  Nicholas  Moore,  Jr., 
Sarah  Moore  and  Mary  Moore.  Sarah  Moore  married 
William  Sluby.  Mary  Moore  married  Elias  Keach,  a 
preacher  at  Penny  pack. 

In  1 702,  the  estate  was  divided.  Nicholas  Moore  took 
up  land  and  resided  in  the  low^er  part  of  Moreland.  Sarah 
Moore  took  up  the  western  part  of  the  manor,  but  resided 
in  Philadelphia.  Mary  Moore  took  up  several  thousand 
acres  near  Hatborough.  It  appears  that  she  returned  to 
Europe  with  her  romantic  husband,  Elias  Keach.  They 
had  a  daughter,  Hannah,  who  married  Revitt  Harrison. 
Hannah  vSoon  died  but  left  a  son,  John  Harrison.  In 
1738,  he  secured  his  mother's  title  and  resided  in  Hat- 
borough. 

But  the  Moreland  of  1702  when  the  division  occurred, 
was  not  identical  with  the  "Manor"  as  it  existed  at  the 
time  of  Nicholas  Moore's  death.  It  appears  that  addi- 
tions were  made  to  its  southwestern  border.  A  large  por- 
tion had  also  been  sold  to  pay  the  debts  of  the  estate,  edu- 
cate his  children  and  improve  the  manor.  Among  the 
debtors  was  John  Holme,  an  ancestor  of  those  of  that 
name  now  residing  in  Holmesburg.  In  April,  1695,  John 
Holme  presented  a  petition  to  Councils  to  have  them  audit 
Nicholas  Moore's  accounts.  They  found  Moore's  estate 
indebted  to  John  Holme  to  the  amount  of  £270.  John 
Holme  therefore  sold  the  plantation  at  Green  Spring  and 
other  parts  of  Moreland.  The  Green  Spring  plantation 
was  purchased  by  Robert  Heaton,  on  September  the  nth, 
1697.  He  sold  it  to  his  son-in-law  Henry  Comly,  Jr.,  who 
in  1704  erected  a  mansion  near  the  old  one. 

In  1703,  1,200  acres  near  Willow  Grove  were  sold  to 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  99 

Nicholas  Wain  of  Bucks  and  Thomas  Shute,  by  Mooters 
heirs.  They,  in  turn,  sold  it  to  smaller  purchasers;  so 
that,  by  1738,  this  tract  contained  about  ten  or  twelve 
families. 

Moreland  appears  to  have  been  settled  slightly  after 
Byberry.  Among  the  earliest  settlers  were:  John  Sim- 
cock,  Jacob  Dubree,  James  Dubree,  Thomas  Hallowell, 
William  Dunn,  Ralph  Dunn,  John  Wain,  Nathan  Bewly 
and  Thomas  Pennington.  Among  those  who  settled 
around  Hatborough  before  171 2  we  have :  Thomas  Lloyd, 
John  Salters,  John  Swift,  Jacob  Izelstein,  and  William 
Allen.  Among  those  who  settled  between  the  Old  York 
Road  and  Byberry  may  be  mentioned :  Benjamin  Cooper, 
Thomas  Parry,  William  Walton,  Thomas  Wood,  Jacob 
Boileau,  Ralph  Morgan,  Thomas  Kirk,  Walter  Moore, 
Harmon  Yerkes,  Josiah  Yerkes,  Cornelius  Wyncoop,  John 
Harrison,  John  McVaugh,  Samuel  Boucher,  William 
Murrey,  John  Butcher,  Caspar  Fetters,  Joseph  Mitchell, 
Jonathan  Comly,  Richard  Maple,  Derrick  Hewson,  Wil- 
liam Roberts,  Albertson  Walton,  William  Tillyer,  Henry 
•Comly,  Nicholas  Moore,  Jr.,  John  Bradford  and  Benjamin 
Duffield.  By  the  year  1740,  Moreland  contained  a  popula- 
tion of  600  inhabitants,  many  of  whom  were  slaves. 

In  1728,  limestone  was  discovered  near  Abington.  This 
was  immediately  utilized  for  fertilizing  purposes  and  to 
make  mortar  in  erecting  new  houses  to  replace  the  old 
and  less  substantial  ones.  A  great  many  of  our  old  houses 
of  to-day  date  from  this  period. 

For  75  years  the  people  traveled  chiefly  on  horseback. 
Their  grain  was  generally  taken  to  James  Logan's  Mill 


lOO  THE  HISTORY  OF 

near  Germantown,  or  to  Lewis'  or  Gwinn's  Mills  on  the 
Pennypack. 

Luxuries  appear  to  have  been  almost  unknown.  Like 
the  people  of  Byberry,  mush  was  their  principal  article 
of  diet.  Doughnuts  were  eaten  only  on  Christmas.  Calico 
was  w^orn  only  on  Sunday. 

The  people  of  Moreland  shared  the  superstition  of  tne 
Byberry  people.  The  glens  of  the  Pennypack  were,  ac- 
cording to  them,  haunted  by  ghosts  and  malicious  spirits. 
A  red  ribbon  w^as  often  tied  on  the  horns  of  the  cattle  to 
make  them  impregnable  to  any  supernatural  influence.  To 
discover  the  proper  place  for  a  well,  the  sweet  apple  crook 
w^as  used.  This  was  a  two-pronged  stick  cut  from  a  sweet 
apple  tree.  The  person  using  the  stick  would  hold  it  by 
the  prongs  with  the  other  end  projecting  in  air.  Where- 
ever  the  stick  chose  to  turn  toward  the  earth,  water  was 
to  be  found.  Such  was  thought  to  be  the  power  of  this 
stick,  that  the  operator's  bones  would  be  broken  if  he 
attempted  to  prevent  it  from  descending. 

At  first  learning  was  on  a  low  level.  Few  of  the  chil- 
dren of  the  first  settlers  could  read  or  write.  Schools  were 
soon  started,  however,  and,  according  to  William  J.  Buck, 
by  the  year  1776,  we  have  five  schools  in  Moreland.  The 
first  was  near  Hatborough  and  was  established  about 
1730.  The  second  was  in  the  southwestern  corner  of 
Moreland,  on  the  Welsh  Road.  The  third  was  near 
Parry's  Mill  on  the  Newtown  Road  one  mile  northeast 
of  Willow  Grove.  The  fourth  was  the  Middle  Road 
School  House  below  the  Sorrel  Horse  Hotel,  built  before 
1745  and  still  used  for  school  purposes.  The  fifth  was 
near  the  Byberry  line  in  the  lower  end  of  the  township. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  lOI 

Soon  after  the  Revolution,  Montgomery  County  was 
created.  In  so  doing,  Moreland  was  divided  in  such  a 
manner  that  about  one-fifth  of  it  remained  with  Philadel- 
phia-County and  four-fifths  of  it  went  to  help  form  the 
new  county. 


I02  THE  HISTORY  OF 


PART  II. 

FROM  THE   CLOSE  OF  THE  REVOLUTION  TO  THE  PRESENT 

TIME. 


CHURCHES. 

As  we  have  already  seen,  Byberry,  Horsham,  and  Ab- 
ington  Meetings  were  united  to  form  "Abington  Monthly 
Meeting;''  but  in  the  year  1782  Byberry  and  Horsham 
were  detached  from  Abington,  so  as  to  form  a  separate 
Meeting,  to  be  called  "Horsham  Monthly  Meeting,"  which 
was  to  be  held  alternately  at  the  two  places.  In  1786  the 
Monthly  Meetings  of  Abington,  Horsham,  Gwynedd,  and 
Richland,  which  had  previously  been  attached  to  "Phila- 
delphia Quarter,"  were  united  to  constitute  a  new 
Quarterly  Meeting  to  be  known  as  "Abington 
Quarter."  The  select  members  at  Byberry  at  that 
time  were  James  Thornton,  a  minister,  Thomas  Town- 
send,  John  Townsend,  Susannah  Walmsley,  Grace  Town- 
send,  Agnes  Walmsley,  and  Mary  Knight. 

In  the  same  year  the  Preparative  Meeting,  having  no 
Book  of  Discipline,  paid  £5  14s.  for  a  manuscript  copy 
of  the  same,  and  it  was  agreed  to  circulate  it  among 
Friends,  "with  caution  and  care  to  return  it  again  in  one 
month." 

It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  so  little  is  known  of  the 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  IO3 

religious  labors  of  the  ministers  at  Byberry,  or  of  those 
who  visited  the  place.  Henry  Tomlinson,  who  kept  an 
account  of  many  of  the  more  important  events  in  the 
neighborhood,  in  some  of  his  notes  on  Byberry,  makes 
mention  of  one  Arthur  Howell,  preaching  at  Byberry 
Meeting,  "and  that  he  preached  well,  though  a  Whig." 
The  same  person  states  that  in  1788,  James  Thornton, 
who  was  the  most  prominent  minister  at  Byberry,  obtain- 
ed from  the  Meeting  a  certificate  to  go  on  a  visit  to  his 
friends  in  England.  On  the  occasion  of  his  departure  he 
preached  a  farewell  sermon  to  a  very  large  congregation 
of  people^  who  had  assembled  in  the  meeting-house  to 
hear  him.  He  was  absent  about  sixteen  months ;  and  on 
his  return,  the  people  again  gathered  in  great  numbers  to 
show  the  respect  they  felt  for  him,  as  an  honored  neighbor 
and  a  worthy  minister  of  the  gospel. 

In  the  year  1796,  a  census  of  the  members  of  Byberry 
Meeting  was  directed  to  be  taken  for  the  use  of  the  over- 
seers; when  it  was  found  that  there  were  three  hundred 
and  eighty-five  members,  including  adults  and  children. 

The  old  meeting-house,  which  was  built  in  1714,  and 
reconstructed  in  T753,  began  to  have  a  very  dilapidated 
appearance  before  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and 
by  the  year  i3o8  w^as  in  such  a  tottering  condition  that 
it  was  no  longer  tenable,  and  Friends  in  that  year  erected 
a  new  house  near  the  locality  of  the  old  one,  of  the  di- 
mensions of  66  by  36  feet,  and  at  a  cost  of  about  $2,600.^ 
The  whole  of  this  sum  was  raised  by  subscription  among 
the  members,  except  about  $60,  which  was  given  by  Ab- 

^This  meeting-house  was  erected  by  Samuel  Paul. 


104  THE  HISTORY  OF 

ington  Meeting  in  consideration  of  a  like  sum  formerly 
received  from  Byberr}'-  for  a  similar  purpose. 

Atout  this  time  some  Friends  felt  much  concern  in  re- 
gard to  the  changeable  modes  of  dress;  and  much  was 
said  to  discourage  Friends,  and  particularly  the  younger 
portion,  from  following  the  fashions  of  Philadelphia. 
High-crowned  hats,  narrow-waisted  and  sharp-tailed 
coats,  lappel  coats  and  sharp- toed  shoes,  were  particularly 
animadverted  upon.  The  girls  were  hardly  allowed  a  cape 
to  a  black  silk  bonnet,  a  hood  to  a  cloak,  or  any  deviation 
from  the  old-fashioned  shape  and  cut  of  a  long  gown ;  and 
Warner  Mifflin  was  so  much  exercised  in  regard  to  orna- 
mental show,  that  he  carried  a  chisel  and  saw  with  him 
when  travelling  about,  so  as  to  remove  the  superfluous 
carvings,  etc.,  from  furniture  found  in  Friends'  houses. 
At  James  Thornton's,  he  attempted  to  remove  some  orna- 
ments from  the  clock ;  but  the  old  lady  interfered,  and 
friend  Thornton  told  Warner  he  had  better  give  up  the 
"business. 

About  the  time  this  matter  claimed  the  attention  of 
Friends,  some  discussion  in  regard  to  the  use  of  spirituous 
liquors  was  introduced  into  the  Meeting.  Many  Friends 
became  very  active  in  the  cause;  and  through  their  in- 
fluence the  custom  of  handing  around  wine  at  social  gath- 
erings and  furnishing  distilled  liquor  to  hands  in  harvest- 
time,  was  to  a  great  extent  abolished,  and  probably  much 
good  was  done  thereby.^ 

'  Although  the  temperance  movement  began  about  1825,  yet  the  use 
of  whiskey  in  the  harvest  field  and  at  elections  was  continued  until 
about  the  time  of  the  Civil  War.  It  was  thought  impossible  to 
harvest  the  hay  or  win  an  election  without  it.  An  old  resident  of 
Byberry  spoke  of  whiskev  as  "The  Great  Curse  of  Byberry." 


BYEERRY  AND  MORELAND.  IO5 

The  subjects  of  courtship  and  marriage  also  occupied 
the  minds  of  many  Friends,  who  urged  the  discontinu- 
ance of  the  custom  of  keeping  company  at  unseasonable 
hours,  after  the  rest  of  the  family  had  retired,  and  some 
labored  heartily  to  accomplish  this  end.  Parents,  who 
were  very  strict,  enjoined  the  matter  upon  the  young  peo- 
ple; but  others  treated  the  subject  rather  indifferently, 
and  kept  to  the  good  old-fashioned  way  in  that  very  im- 
portant and  rather  agreeable  business. 

The  young  people,  contrary  to  their  usual  custom,  were 
not  in  favor  of  the  innovation,  and  expressed  themselves 
as  satisfied  with  sometimes  waiting,  when  two  only  were 
in  company,  until  the  "wee  sma'  hours"  when  all  but 
lovers  are  asleep.  The  old  folks  had  served  an  apprentice- 
ship to  the  delightful  business,  and  why  should  not  their 
children  take  pattern  after  them  ? 

The  number  of  members  belonging  to  Horsham  Month- 
ly Meeting  had  increased  so  much,  that,  in  1810,  it  was 
thought  desirable  to  separate  the  two  Meetings,  and  since 
that  time  Byberry  has  had  a  Monthly  Meeting  consisting 
of  its  members  only.  From  a  census  taken  at  this  time, 
the  members  of  the  Meeting  numbered  four  hundred  and 
forty-six. 

This  year  (18 10)  might  be  considered  rather  an  im- 
portant one  in  the  history  of  the  Meeting,  as  it  was  in  the 
latter  part  of  it  that  John  Comly,  afterward  one  of  the 
most  noted  preachers  of  the  Society,  came  forward  in  the 
public  ministry.  Some  others  followed  his  example ;  and 
the  Meeting  seems  to  have  been  more  prosperous  that  at 
any  other  period,  and  all  things  passed  smoothly  on  until 
the  war  of  181 2,  when  a  number  of  the  members  were 


I06  THE  HISTORY  OF 

drafted.  Most  of  these  refused  to  go,  and  were  accord- 
ingly court-martialed,  and  fined  from  twenty  to  one  hun- 
dred dollars  each.  They  could  not  conscientiously  pay 
these  fines,  and  therefore  suffered  distraints  of  their  prop- 
erty, which,  in  some  cases,  was  taken  and  sold. 

The  prosperity  of  the  Meeting  at  Byberry.  and  indeed 
of^the  whole  Society,  continued  for  many  years ;  but  there 
had  been  a  difference  of  opinion  upon  some  important 
doctrinal  points  for  some  time,  and  this  spirit  of  dis- 
cussion gradually  increased  until  1827,  when  it  reached 
the  crisis,  and  a  final  separation  was  the  result.  Byberry 
Friends  seem  not  to  have  taken  much  part  in  the  discus- 
sion until  the  time  of  the  division.  There  was  then  some 
difficulty  in  the  Monthly  Meeting,  as  both  parties  desired 
to  retain  possession  of  the  Meeting's  property ;  and  to  be 
considered  the  Monthly  Meeting;  but  it  finally  ended  with 
the  Orthodox  party  withdrawing,  and  leaving  the  Hick- 
site  portion  in  peaceable  possession.  After  their  with- 
drawal the  Orthodox  organized  a  Meeting  for  worship, 
which  was  held  at  David  Comfort's  house,^  in  Byberry, 
until  they  had  time  to  erect  a  meeting-house,  which  they 
did  in  the  latter  part  of  the  next  year,  1828,  on  a  lot  then 
belonging  to  Watson  Atkinson,  about  a  half  mile  south 
of  the  old  meeting-house,  for  which  they  were  to  pay  a 
yearly  rent  of  one  ton  of  hay.*  In  the  year  1834,  David 
Comfort,  having  purchased  the  property  of  Atkinson, 
deeded  the  lot  to  James  C.  Comfort  and  Thornton  Com- 
fort, in  trust,  for  the  use  of  the  Orthodox  portion  of 
Friends  living  in  Byberry,  both  as  a  meeting-house  lot 

'  This  was  the  house  now  occupied  by  Jacob  Eckfeldt. 
•This  building  is  no  longer  standing. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  IO7 

and  a  burying  ground.  It  contained  about  one  hundred 
square  perches,  and  was  given  with  a  proviso  that  if  the 
said  meeting  should  be  discontinued,  and  no  meeting  held 
there,  the  trustees  were  to  sow  it  with  grass  seed,  and 
with  the  proceeds  keep  it  in  good  order.  They  continued 
to  hold  their  meetings  at  this  place  for  several  years,  and 
until  death  had  removed  most  of  those  who  took  an  active 
part  in  the  separation.  The  others  then  sold  out,  and  left 
the  neighborhood;  and,  in  the  year  1859,  meetings  ceased 
to  be  held  at  this  place.  The  property  is  now  under  the 
control  of  trustees  appointed  by  Frankford  Monthly  Meet- 
ing of  Orthodox  Friends. 

This  meeting-house  is  situated  about  fifty  yards  from 
what  is  now  the  Byberry  and  Andalusia  turnpike,  and 
persons  unacquainted  with  the  circumstances  would  never 
think  of  its  having  been  used  as  a  place  of  worship ;  but 
here,  those  who  believed  in  the  Orthodox  creed,  met  to- 
gether to  worship  the  God  of  their  fathers  twice  a  week 
for  many  a  year.  Their  numbers  were  indeed  few,  and 
their  house  small;  but  probably  they  felt  as  if  a  small 
house  with  a  few  choice  Friends  was  preferable  to  a  larger 
edifice,  filled  with  strangers.  My  recollections  of  this 
spot  when  a  schoolboy,  are,  that  seldom  more  than  a  dozen 
persons  congregated  there  in  the  middle  of  the  week,  and 
about  twice  that  number  on  First-days.  Asa  Walmsley 
was  their  preacher,  and  often  have  we  seen  him  going  ta 
and  from  the  Meeting.  He  was  a  portly  old  gentleman, 
his  hair  silvered  o'er  with  age,  his  dress  neat  but  plain, 
and  strictly  corresponding  with  his  profession,  and  his 
whole  manners  bespoke  the  kindness  of  a  humane  heart. 
He  sometimes  stopped  to  speak    to    us,  when    passing 


I08  THE  HISTORY  OF 

through  our  play-grounds,  and  the  impressions  made  upon 
my  mind  on  such  occasions  still  remain.  There  were  two 
or  three  sheds  connected  with  this  house,  but  they  have 
been  taken  down,  and  the  old  frame  meeting-house  now 
stands  desolate  and  alone,  without  a  single  tree  or  shrub 
around  it ;  and  all  those  who  met  here  in  days  gone  by — 
the  Walmsleys,  the  Comforts  and  the  Parrys — have  either 
removed  to  other  localities,  or  are  numbered  with  the 
dead. 

At  the  time  of  the  separation  the  members  of  Byberry 
Monthly  Meeting  numbered  five  hundred  and  four,  only 
thirty-nine  of  whom  withdrew.  The  old  Meeting  still 
continues  well  attended ;  but  to  a  casual  visitor  it  seems  to 
be  somewhat  on  the  decline.  It  is  a  large  stone  edifice, 
two  stories  high,  and  surrounded  by  a  number  of  stately 
,Lombardy  poplars,  which  are  peculiarly  interesting  as  rel- 
ics of  former  times,  as  most  of  this  species  so  common 
as  shade  trees  around  every  farm-house  twenty  years 
ago  have  since  been  cut  down  and  the  more  fashionable 
kinds  planted  in  their  place.  The  exterior  of  the  house  is 
neat  but  plain,  and  its  appearance  is  sufficient  to  tell  the 
stranger  that  this  is  a  place  of  worship  for  Friends.  In 
front  of  it,  and  only  a  few  yards  distant,  is  the  "old  grave- 
yard"— the  resting-place  of  many  of  the  ancient  inhabi- 
tants who  now  lie  in  undisturbed  repose  within  its  crum- 
bling walls;  to  the  south  is  the  "new  graveyard,"  which 
is  fast  filling  up,  and  where  every  narrow  cell  will  soon 
be  tenanted;  and  to  the  north  is  the  "old  school-house," 
where  many  of  the  present  generation  were  educated,  and 
in  and  around  which  many  of  the  scenes  of  our  early  life 
are  remembered  with  exquisite  pleasure.     The  meeting- 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  IO9 

house  yard  contains  about  three  acres  of  ground,  all  of 
which  is  nicely  planted  with  shade  trees,  giving  it  a  pleas- 
ant appearance  and  affording  building  places  for  numer- 
ous birds,  which,  in  return,  make  the  spring  and  summer 
air  vocal  with  their  music.  Long  rows  of  sheds  nearly 
surround  the  place,  affording  to  the  horses  protection  alike 
from  the  summer's  sun  and  the  winter's  cold.  The  mem- 
bers being  generally  in  good  circumstances,  go  to  meet- 
ing in  their  carriages;  and  on  a  fine  summer's  mornmg 
from  eighty  to  one  hundred  neat  vehicles,  drawn  by  hand- 
some and  well-fed  steeds,  may  be  noticed  occupying  these 
sheds  or  fastened  in  the  shade  of  the  trees,  while  their 
owners  and  families  are  listening  to  the  words  of  coun- 
sel and  wisdom  spoken  within  the  sanctuary.  Well  do  I 
recollect  these  scenes,  and  often  does  my  spirit  yearn  to 
mingle  with  them  once  again. 

Nearly  all  the  more  numerous  families  in  and  around 
Byberry  worship  here,  and  the  descendants  of  the  Comlys, 
the  Carvers,  the  Knights,  the  Gilberts,  the  Waltons,  the 
Townsends,  the  Walmsleys,  the  Worthingtons,  and  the 
Tomlinsons — names  found  away  back  in  the  primitive 
settlement  of  the  place — still  compose  the  principal  part 
of  the  congregation.  Some  of  the  names,  familiar  then, 
have  not  now  a  single  representative  left;  and  others,  of 
whom  we  then  had  no  account,  now  take  an  active  part  in 
the  Meeting's  affairs.  The  interior  of  this  house  is  ex- 
ceedingly plain,  but  there  is  withal  a  feeling  of  comfort 
that  makes  even  a  stranger  feel  that  he  is  among  friends. 
As  I  sat  in  the  house  a  short  time  since,  my  thoughts 
wandered  back  to  those  who  formerly  occupied  seats  at 
the  head  of  the  Meeting,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  could 


no  THE  HISTORY  OF 

mentally  see  John  and  Isaac  Comly,  James  Walton,  and 
Joshua  Gilbert,  each  with  his  own  peculiar  countenance, 
still  sitting  in  the  gallery,  gazing  at  the  back  benches  to 
keep  some  of  us  rollicking  youngsters  within  the  bounds 
of  propriety  and  good  order.  I  remember  the  solemn  still- 
ness that  pervaded  the  whole  assembly  until  John  Comly 
arose  to  preach,  when  a  slight  bustle  followed,  but  quickly 
died  away,  and  the  audience  waited  with  suspense  for  the 
words  of  encouragement  which  all  expected  from  his  lips. 
All  gave  attention  to  the  preaching ;  and  as  he  proceeded 
in  his  discourse,  one  might  see  by  their  countenances  that 
he  was  touching  some  of  the  many  strings  that  are  found 
in  the  human  heart.  The  walls  of  the  old  meeting-house 
have  at  different  times  reverberated  with  the  voices  of 
most  of  the  great  preachers  belonging  to  the  Society, 
since  1808 — such  as  Elias  and  Edward  Hicks,  Priscilla 
Hunt,  Mary  Lippincott,  Henry  Ridgeway,  John  Hunt, 
and  a  host  of  others — some  of  whom  came  a  long  distance 
to  fulfill  their  "missions  of  love."  This  spot  is  now,  as 
it  ever  has  been,  since  the  seventeenth  century,  the  cyno- 
sure of  Byberry,  and  we  hope  that  many  ages  will  yet  pass 
away  ere  its  walls  shall  crumble  or  its  reminiscences  be 
forgotten. 

The  great  majority  of  the  people  of  Byberry  are 
Friends,  or  friendly  inclined,  yet  several  of  other  societies 
have  of  late  settled  there.  In  the  village  of  Somerton  and 
vicinity  many  of  the  Methodist  persuasion  have  settled, 
and  feeling  the  want  of  a  convenient  place  for  religious 
worship  they  started  a  meeting  in  that  place  at  the  old 
school-house,  several  years  since.  As  the  society  con- 
tinued to  increase  in  numbers  and  in  wealth,  they,  in  the 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  Ill 

year  1848,  erected  a  substantial  stone  church  in  the  east 
end  of  the  village,  and  which  ranks  among  the  improve- 
ments of  the  place.  At  first  this  church  was  united  with 
the  one  at  Bustleton,  and  a  minister  placed  in  charge  of 
both  of  them,  who  preached  alternately  at  each  place ;  but 
the  circuit  was  divided  in  1858,  and  since  that  time  Somer- 
ton  has  supported  a  minister  alone.  This  meeting  and  the 
one  at  Byberry,  are  now  the  only  ones  within  the  limits 
of  the  townships,  yet  many  of  the  inhabitants  attend 
service  at  Pennypack  Baptist  Church  near  Bustleton,  or  at 
All  Saints'  Church  on  the  Bristol  turnpike,  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  southern  extremity  of  Byberry.^ 

PREACHERS  OF  BYBERRY  MEETING. 

While  the  meeting  was  held  near  the  Red  Lion,  in  the 
southern  part  of  Byberry,  an  old  account  says  that  a  man 
preached  there,  and  mentioned  that,  "as  he  was  at  the 
plow,  the  Lord  came  to  him  and  told  to  go  to  such  a 
place;''  that  another  man  who  was  present  immediately 
told  the  preacher  "he  lied ;  that  the  Lord  did  not  come  to 
him  when  at  the  plow,  and  tell  him  to  go  to  such  a  place." 

The  first  approved  minister  we  hear  of  at  Byberry  was 
William  Walton.  In  the  minutes  of  Abington  Monthly 
Meeting,  mention  is  made  of  dealing  with  one  William 
liibbs,  for  not  taking  off  his  hat  when  William  Walton 
was  at  prayer.  William  Walton  was  at  the  head  of  the 
Meeting  for  many  years,  and  until  his  death,  in  1736. 

Thomas  Walton,  a  nephew  of  the  above-mentioned 
William,  sometimes  preached,  especially  when  no  other 

"This  history  was  first  published  in  the  year  1867.     Since  that 
time  Byberry  Chapel  and  St.  Andrev/s  in  the  Field  have  been  erected. 


112  THE  HISTORY  OF 

minister  was  present.  He  took  a  distinguished  station  in 
the  meeting,  but  was  never  recommended.  He  was  dis- 
owned about  1763,  for  not  paying  his  debts. 

Samuel  Jackson  preached  about  the  year  1737,  but 
probably  was  not  recommended. 

Ann  Moore  was  an  approved  and  celebrated  minister. 
She  resided  in  Byberry  three  or  four  years,  but  removed 
thence  to  Mayland,  in  1753.  She  was  one  of  the  most  pop- 
ular and  powerful  preachers  of  her  time,  although  she  had 
but  little  education. 

Walter  Moore,  husband  of  Ann  Moore,  sometimes  at- 
tempted to  speak  in  public  meetings,  but  his  moral  char- 
acter was  exceptionable.  He  received  but  little  encour- 
agement from  the  Society  to  which  he  belonged,  and  was 
not  held  in  much  esteem  by  them. 

Jacob  Scott  appeared  in  the  ministry  about  1751.  He 
took  some  short  religious  journeys.  He  was  of  the  Scott 
family  in  Bensalem,  and  afterward  moved  to  Maryland. 

Job  Walton,  son  of  William,  made  some  attempts  at 
preaching  in  1752.  His  conduct  was  irregular,  and  he  was 
disowned,  probably  for  intemperance,  after  which  his  life 
was  unhappy. 

Sarah,  daughter  of  Isaac  Bolton,  of  Southampton,  was 
acknowledged  as  a  minister  of  Byberry  in  1752.  About 
1757  she  married  and  removed  to  Maryland,  where  she 
died  in  1783. 

Abraham  Griffith,  an  approved  minister,  became  a  mem- 
ber of  Byberry  Meeting  in  1752.  He  remained  there 
about  three  years,  and  died  near  Mount  Holly  in  1798. 

James  Thornton,  an  approved  minister,  settled  in  By- 
berry in  1752,  and  became  the  most  distinguished  char- 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  II3 

acter  of  the  place.    He  was  much  esteemed  at  home,  and 
was  generally  known  throughout  the  country. 

Mary  Comly,  wife  of  James  Comly,  and  sister  to  old 
John  Paul,  was  a  frequent  preacher,  but  her  sermons  were 
generally  short.    She  was  not  an  approved  minister. 

Margaret  Porter,  a  native  of  Byberry,  and  an  approved 
minister,  sometimes  preached  from  1762  to  1770.  After- 
ward she  removed  to  Frankford,  where  she  died  in  181 5. 
aged  94  years. 

John  Gilbert,  son  of  Benjamin  Gilbert,  the  Indian  cap- 
tive, commenced  to  preach  in  1769,  but  was  never  an 
acknowledged  minister.  He  left  Byberry  in  1796,  and 
died  in  Chester  County  in  1802. 

John  Davis,  who  had  been  a  soldier  in  the  Indian  wars, 
was  convinced  of  Friends'  principles,  and  became  a  mem- 
ber about  T760,  but  was  afterward  disowned  for  getting 
intoxicated. 

In  1804  he  was  reinstated  as  a  member,  and  again  be- 
came a  preacher,  but  was  never  recommended.  He  re- 
sided in  Jenkintown  for  many  years,  and  was  maintained 
by  Abington  Meeting.    He  died  in  1819. 

Mary  Gilbert,  wife  of  Joshua  Gilbert,  preached  about 
1780.  Her  communications  were  generally  short.  She 
is  spoken  of  as  being  "a  good  kind  of  a  woman,  but  often 
low-spirited."     She  died  in  1813. 

Ann  Hampton,  an  approved  minister  from  Wrights- 
town,  became  a  member  of  Byberry  in  1792.  She  had 
previously  visited  the  meetings  of  Friends  in  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  States  southward  to  Carolina.  Slie 
was  considered  a  pious  woman,  and  her  ministry  gave 
much  satisfaction  to  the  Meeting.  She  died  in  1796. 
8 


114  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Hannah  Yarnall  appeared  in  the  ministry  in  1793,  but 
was  not  recommended  until  1798.  She  travelled  consid- 
erably, and  was  much  esteemed  for  sincerity  and  upright- 
ness. 

Ruth  Walmsley,  second  wife  of  Thomas  Walmsley 
(formerly  Ruth  Kirk),  came  to  Byberry  from  Little  York 
in  1794.    She  was  an  eminent  minister,  and  died  in  1708 

Peter  Yarnall,  an  esteemed  preacher,  came  to  Byberry 
in  1797.  He  was  considered  one  of  the  best  preachers  of 
his  day,  but  lived  only  one  year  after  his  removal,  having 
<lied  in  1798. 

John  Simpson,  a  celebrated  minister  from  Wrightstown, 
resided  in  Byberry  from  1799  to  1803.  He  then  removed 
to  Ohio,  where  he  died  in  181 1. 

Ruth  Cadwalader,  who  for  many  years  resided  in  the 
Thornton  family,  commenced  preaching  in  1801.  She 
was  subsequently  recommended,  and  was  very  lively  in 
her  discourses.  In  1808  she  married  David  Graves,  and 
removed  beyond  Redstone. 

David  Comfort  was  born  at  Middletown  in  1777,  and 
moved  to  Byberry  in  the  year  1800.  He  began  to  preach 
in  t8io,  and  was  recommended  in  1817.  He  went  with 
the  Orthodox  Friends  after  the  separation,  and  subse- 
quently removed  to  Philadelphia. 

John  Comly,  probably  the  greatest  preacher  that  ever 
lived  in  Byberry,  commenced  in  11  mo.,  1810.  In  1813 
he  was  recommended,  and  continued  preaching  until  his 
death. 

Amos  Hillborn,  formerly  a  member  of  Wrightstown, 
-came  to  Byberry  in  1799.     He  began  to  preach  in  181 1, 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  II5 

and  was  approved  1813.     He  frequently  preached  until 
his  death,  and  was  much  respected. 

James  Walton,  born  in  1774,  was  for  many  years  an 
elder  in  Byberry  Meeting,  and  commenced  to  preach  in 
181 2.  He  lived  a  consistent  life,  and  was  much  esteem- 
€d.« 

Michael  Trump,  from  Horsham,  resided  in  the  town- 
ship for  several  years.  He  began  to  preach  in  181 3,  and 
was  generally  esteemed;  but  in  18 14  he  removed  to  New- 
port. 

Mary  Walton,  daughter  of  William  Walton,  began  to 
preach  in  1816,  and  was  recommended  in  18 18.  She 
married  Henry  Pike,  and  removed  to  Frankford  in  1821, 
but  is  now  living  in  Byberry. 

Fanny  Oram,  a  mulatto  woman  residing  in  the  family 
of  James  Walton,  was  religiously  inclined,  and  although 
not  a  member,  spoke  several  times  in  the  Meeting  in  18 17. 

Sophronia  Osborn,  from  the  State  of  New  York,  com- 
"menced  to  preach  at  Byberry  in  18 19.  She  was  considered 
a  lively  preacher. 

Emmor,  son  of  John  Comly,  was  a  preacher  at  Byberry 
for  several  years  previous  to  his  removal  to  Bristol.  He 
now  resides  in  Philadelphia. 

Benjamin  Tomlinson  commenced  preaching  at  Byberry 

'  The  minutes  of  the  Byberry  Monthly  Meeting  between  the  years 
1810  and  183 1  were  burned  in  a  fire  which  consumed  the  house 
•of  Watson  C.  Martindale  on  gth  of  6mo,  1896.  A  minute  in  volume 
D  of  the  Byberry  Monthly  Meeting  books  under  date  of  6  mo.  30th, 
1896,  further  states  that  Watson  C.  Martindale  had  borrowed  the 
book  for  the  purpose  of  transcribing  important  passages.  These 
passages  had  already  been  transcribed  and  deposited  in  the  Penn- 
sylvania Historical  Society  when  the  fire  occurred. 


Il6  THE  HISTORY  OF 

in  1854.  He  is  now  a  recommended  minister  in  the  So- 
ciety, and  resides  within  the  hmits  of  the  Meeting.'^ 

EHzabeth,  daughter  of  James  Walton,  commenced  to 
preach  in  1828.    She  has  since  removed  to  Philadelphia. 

James  Brown,  from  Crosswicks,  New  Jersey,  came  to 
Byberry  in  1830.  He  frequently  preached,  yet  his  ser- 
mons were  usually  short.  He  died  at  Mechanicsville, 
5th  mo.,  8th,  1858,  aged  84  years. 

Demas  C.  Worrell  commenced  to  preach  in  1832  at 
Byberry.  He  afterwards  removed  to  Horsham,  and  was 
recommended. 

Elizabeth,  wife  of  Samuel  Coleman,  came  from  Trenton 
to  Byberry  in  1833.  ^^^  ^^'^^  a  frequent  speaker.  Her 
death  occurred  in  1836. 

Elizabeth,  wife  of  Samuel  Newbold,  came  to  Byberry 
in  1838.  She  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  best  preach- 
ers at  Byberry. 

Sarah,  wife  of  Samuel  Shotwell,  a  noted  preacher  from 
Middletown,  came  to  Byberry  in  1842.  She  continued 
to  preach  to  the  time  of  her  death,  which  occurred  5th 
mo.,  8th,  1862,  in  her  72d  year. 

Warder  Cresson  came  from  Philadelphia  in  18 19,  and 
although  but  a  youth,  commenced  to  preach,  and  continu- 
ed it  for  many  years.  He  was  never  much  esteemed ;  and 
some  years  afterwards  he  left  his  family  and  made  a  re- 
ligious visit  to  Jerusalem,  where  he  resided  for  several 
years,  wandering  about  the  country,  and  at  times  attempt- 
ing to  preach.    By  his  strange  conduct  he  lost  the  esteem 

^Benjamin  Tomlinson  is  now  dead.  His  property  is  now  owned 
by  John  Sidebotham  of  Frankford,  Philadelphia.  He  was  the  first 
to  recommend  the  purchase  of  one  acre  of  land  from  Robert  Purvis 
for  a  new  graveyard  and  he  was  the  first  to  be  buried  in  it. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  IT/ 

of  his  former  friends.  He  died  at  Jerusalem,  in  i860, 
after  having-  for  a  long  time  roved  about  the  world. 

A'nn  Knight,  daughter  of  Thomas  Knight,  appeared 
in  the  ministry  in  18 19,  but  remained  in  Byberry  only 
about  one  year  afterward. 

Benjamin  Brown,  a  preacher  from  Philadelphia,  settled 
in  Byberry  in  1820.  He  was  not  much  of  a  speaker,  al- 
though considered  a  very  consistent  man.  He  renioved 
to  Bristol  in  1835,  and  has  since  joined  the  Methodists. 

*The  author  of  this  history  felt  constrained  to  open  his  mouth  in 
public  testimony  to  the  cause  of  truth  about  a  year  before  his  de- 
cease. Watson  Tomlinson,  Mrs.  Croasdale  and  Nathaniel  Richard- 
son have  since  appeared  in  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel. 

During  the  past  century,  three  churches  have  arisen  within  the 
locality  considered  in  the  present  history.  These  were :  The  Somer- 
ton  Methodist  Church,  St.  Andrews  in  the  Field  and  Byberry  Baptist 
Chapel.     Let  us  first  consider  the  former. 

This  church  may  be  said  to  date  its  origin  from  the  year  1834. 
In  that  year.  Rev.  John  Edwards  preached  the  first  sermon.  The 
services  were  conducted  in  a  school-house  near  the  present  church 
edifice.  This  school  has  long  since  been  removed  and  a  new 
building  has  been  erected  to  take  its  place.  The  original  members 
were:  Isaac  James,  a  local  preacher;  David  James,  his  son;  Anna 
James,  his  daughter;  Abbie  Knox  and  Ann  Rhoads. 

Although  the  movement  was  looked  upon  with  disapproval  by  the 
Friends,  yet  the  church  continued  to  grow.  In  1835,  it  received  a 
regular  preacher  in  the  person  of  Rev.  James  McFarlan.  Early  in 
this  year,  Thomas  Reading,  Sallie  Clayton  and  Elizabeth  Rhoads 
were  converted  at  a  camp  meeting  and  joined  the  meeting.  Ezekiel 
Everett,  his  wife,  and  Sarah  Harding,  who  had  been  converted  at 
Churchville  in  1832,  united  with  the  church.  Charles  Dyer,  a  local 
preacher,  who  had  been  converted  at  a  Baptist  camp  meeting,  became 
a  member  at  about  the  same  time. 

No  church  edifice  nor  lot  existed  previous  to  1836.  Rev.  L.  Pretty- 
man  was  then  its  pastor.  In  that  year,  Thomas  Reading  and  Isaac 
James  purchased  the  lot  upon  which  the  present  church  has  been 
erected.  The  building  was  completed  in  the  autumn,  the  dedicatory 
service  being  in  charge  of  Rev.   Solomon  Weed. 

In  the  new  edifice,  the  church  continued  to  increase  in  member- 
ship and  Christian  unity.  By  1837,  the  original  class  of  five  members 
had  grown  to  forty.  Soon  after  the  dedication,  a  Sunday  school 
was  organized  under  the  superintendency  of  Thomas  Reading.  Dur- 
ing the  year  1837,  Rachel  Brown  was  converted  in  General  Willet's 

*Note  by  the  Editor. 


Il8  THE  HISTORY  OF 


woods.  Such  was  the  interest  manifested,  about  this  time  or  soon 
after,  that  one  of  the  members.  Dr.  David  James,  forgot  his  horse 
after  the  meeting  and  walked  home  without  it.  He  did  not  miss 
the  animal  until  he  went  to  the  stable  on  the  following  morning 
to  tend  it.  During  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  J.  W.  McCaskey,  the 
church  was  enlarged  to  its  present  size.  Charles  Heller  was  con- 
verted in  185 1  at  Milestown.  In  1863,  Jesse  Harding  began  a 
Sunday  school  at  Scottsville.  In  1886,  the  semi-centennial  of  the 
church  was  celebrated  by  appropriate  services,  under  the  charge 
of   Rev.    R.    D.    Naylor. 

The  church  has,  at  various  times,  been  included  within  different 
circuits,  it  now  being  a  separate  charge.  In  1835,  Rev.  James  Mc- 
Farlan  was  preacher  of  the  circuit  consisting  of  Bustleton,  Somerton 
and  Hatborough.  In  1839,  Hatborough  was  dropped.  In  1840, 
Holmesburg,  Bristol  and  Bensalem  were  added.  In  1841,  Bristol  and 
Bensalem  were  dropped.  In  1846,  Holmesburg  was  dropped,  leav- 
ing only  Bustleton  and  Somerton  within  the  circuit.  In  1859,  the 
circuit  was  done  away  with  and  since  that  time  each  church  has 
had  a  preacher  of  its  own. 

Most  of  the  early  members  of  the  church  have  gone  to  their  reward. 
Of  these,  probably,  no  two  did  a  greater  work  in  the  church  than 
did  Dr.  John  R.  Reading  and  Jesse  Harding.  Curiously  enough 
they  both  died  in  the  year  of  the  semi-centennial,  1886.  Dr.  John 
R.  Reading  died  on  February  the  fourteenth,  and  in  the  fifty-ninth 
year  of  his  age,  and  Jesse  Harding  died  on  July  the  twenty-second, 
as  the  result  of  an  accident  at  Simpson's  Grove  Camp  Meeting.  Mary 
Taylor  died  November  the  twenty-ninth,  1888;  Elizabeth  Swarz- 
lander,  December  the  twenty-fifth,  1888,  in  the  ninety-fifth  year  of 
her  age ;  Catherine  Depue,  June  the  tenth,  1889,  in  the  eighty-second 
year  of  her  age,  and  Elizabeth  Ridge,  January  the  twentieth,  i890» 
in  the  eighty-third  year  of  her  age. 

I   am   indebted   to  the   Rev.   Frank  E.   Graeff,   a  former  pastor, 
and  the  Rev.  J.  M.  Wheeler,  the  present  pastor,  for  the  foregoing 
account  as  well  as  the  following  list  of  preachers: — 
James  McFarlan,  1835.  J.  A.  Watson,  1857-58. 

Levin  Prettyman,  1836-37.  John  Welsh,  1859-60. 

James  L.  Taft,  1838-39.  J.  F.  Reynolds,  1860-61. 

M.  H.  Sisty,   1838-39.  Horace  A.  Cleveland,  1862. 

William  Williams,  1839-40.  L.  D.  McClintock,  1862. 

John  Lednurm,  \    T«>in  at  Wm.  Tricket,  1863. 

John   Allen,        /    ^«40-4i.  t.  M.  Griffith,  1864. 

John  Lednurm,  "I    tQ.t  ao  J-  W-  Harkins,   1865-67. 

John  Walsh,       r   ^^41-42.  L.   McDowell,    1867-68. 

Charles  Karsner,  1843-44.  J-  W.  Ayers,  1868-69. 

James  Cunningham,  1845.  E.  C.  Griffith,  1869-71. 

Wra.  McCoombs,  1846-47.  Wm.  Barlow,  1871-72. 

Wm.  Bishop,  1848.  O.   E.   Stogden,   1896-97. 

J.  W.  McCaskey,  1849-50.  J.  M.  Wheeler.  1897- 

Richard  M.Greenbank,  1851-52.      A  J.  Collum,  1872-74. 

C.  J.  Crouch,  1853-54.  J-  C.  Wood,  1874-75. 

John    Shields,   1855-56.  J.  J.  Timanus,  1875-76- 


■  BYEERRY  AND  MORELAND.  Ilpi, 


Maurice  Graves,  1876-77.  T.  T.  Bond,  1884-86. 

L.  B.  Hoffman,  1877-78.  Ruhis  D.  Naylor,  1886-87. 

James  Blackledge,  1878-79.  Frank  E.  Graeff,   1887-90. 

Garbut  Reed,  1881-82.  A.  D.  Shields,  1890-93. 

Henry  Frankland,  1882-83.  George  H.  Bickley,  Jr.,  1893-95.. 

The  first  steps  toward  the  erection  of  Byberry  Baptist  Chapel 
were  taken  in  1870.  Under  date  of  October,  1871,  appeared  the 
following  circular : — 

"Some  of  our  members  are  about  building  a  Chapel  for  Sabbath 
School  and  preaching  purposes,  in  Byberry,  five  miles  above  us,  and 
within  the  limits  of  the  City,  to  supply  a  long-felt  need.  Many 
of  the  people  there,  especially  the  young,  who  now  spend  the  Sab- 
bath in  pleasure  or  in  toil,  favor  the  enterprise,  and  would  attend 
religious  service  if  near  at  hand.  There  is  no  church  of  any  De- 
nomination, except  that  of  the  Friends,  within  two  and  a-half  miles, 
of  the  site  selected,  and  no  Baptist  church  nearer  than  five  miles. 
An  aged  Baptist  lady,  upon  a  bed  of  suffering,  when  near  deaths 
said,  'Oh !  I  have  been  praying  for  you  to  succeed  in  buying  a  lot, 
and  building  a  chapel  in  this  needy  neighborhood !' 

Thirty  brethren  of  various  Baptist  churches  live  in  this  vicinity. 
An  acre  of  ground  has  been  bought,  paid  for,  and  secured  to  the 
Denomination.  Some  material  is  already  on  the  ground  for  build- 
ing, which  will  be  immediately  begun  if  aid  is  afforded.  The 
brethren  neither  want  to  stop  the  work,  rtor  incur  debt.  Without 
help  their  plans  cannot  be  executed.  Three  thousand  dollars  will 
build  and  furnish  the  house  needed,  and  such  as  will  give  character 
and  success  to  the  undertaking.  Twelve  hundred  dollars  have  been 
subscribed  toward  house  and  lot. 

Will  you  not  give  something  to  help  these  struggling  brethren  to 
plant  the  standard  in  a  new  region? 

Richard  B.  Cook, 
Pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church,  Holmesburg,  Penna.'' 

The  following  is  the  receipt  taken  for  the  first  payment  on  the  lot  r 

"Received,  June  23,  1870,  of  Isaac  A.  Shives,  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  dollars,  on  account  of  the  purchase  money  for  one  acre 
of  land  situated  at  the  southwest  side  of  the  Byberry  and  Andalusia: 
Turnpike  Road,  Byberry  Township,  Twenty-third  Ward,  Philadel- 
phia ;  the  said  one  acre,  being  part  of  a  larger  tract  now  owned 
and  occupied  by  Charles  Bonner :  the  balance  of  said  purchase 
money  is  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  which  said  balance  is  to  be 
paid  in  six  months  from  the  above  date,  when  a  proper  deed  of 
conveyance  is  to  be  made  (clear  of  all  incum.brance)  for  the  above 
mentioned  one  acre  of  land,  by  the  said  Charles  Bonner,  to  the 
parties  named  and  described  as  the  parties  of  the  second  part  in- 
said  deed. 

Charles   W.   Bonner." 

The  principal  members  at  this  time  were  the  following,  with  their 
respective  families:  William  Terry,  William  Dudley,  Sr. ;  Charles 
Dudley.  Isaac  Shives,  John  Simon,  William  Dudley,  jr. ;  Harry  Eck- 
feldt,  William  Cross  and  Wallace  Dudlev. 

The  church  was  not  completed  until  1874.    Although  the  greater 


I20  THE  HISTORY  OF 


part  of  the  debt  was  contributed  by  the  members  of  the  "Chapel," 
3'et  the  deeds  for  the  property  were  made  in  favor  of  the  Holmes- 
burg  Baptist  Church  and  the  "Chapel"  became  a  mission  of  that 
church.  At  first  Rev.  Richard  Cook,  the  pastor  of  the  Holmesburg 
Baptist  Church,  took  charge  of  the  services.  He  was  followed  by 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Dietz  who  also  preached  at  Byberry.  In  1880,  By- 
berry  received  a  separate  minister,  in  the  person  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Shuil.  In  that  year  dedicatory  services  were  held  under  the  charge 
of  the  pastor.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Shull  was  followed  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Cornwell,  Rev.  Mr.  Trotter,  Rev.  Mr.  Hutchings  and  Rev.  Mr. 
Ramsey.  For  a  time  the  work  progressed ;  but  in  time  seeds  of  dis- 
cord were  sown,  the  members  withdrew  and  the  meeting  for  the 
time  being  came  to  a  termination. 

This   was   in   1888.     The  house   remained   closed  until   the  year 

1894,  when  it  was  re-opened  through  the  patronage  of  Mr.  Charles 
Barton.  The  property  had,  however,  in  the  meantime  been  sold  to 
Mr.  William  Terry  by  the  Holmesburg  Baptist  Church  for  five 
hundred  dollars  to  settle  some  debts  owed  to  him  by  the  church. 
On  re-opening,  it  was  at  first  rented,  hut  was  afterward  purchased 
from  William  Terry  for  twelve  hundred  dollars.  Of  this  amount, 
two  hundred  dollars  were  immediately  paid  and  the  remaining 
thousand  dollars  carried  as  a  mortgage.  In  May,  1900,  three  hun- 
dred dollars  more  were  paid  off. 

The  first  preacher  under  the  new  career  of  the  church  was  Rev. 
Charles  Knox,  who  took  charge  in  September,  1894.  He  was  fol- 
lowed  in  July,    1895,   by  the   Rev.   William   Devitt ;   in    September, 

1895,  by  Rev.  Herbert  Loomas :  November,  1896,  by  Rev.  Mahlon 
Bailey;  in  July,  1898,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Vincent;  in  July,  1899,  by  Rev. 
John  Brooks 

Among  the  most  active  workers  are  the  Barton,  Bartine,  Eckfeldt 
and  Simon  families.  The  society  is  in  a  flourishing  condition  and 
much  interest  is  manifested,  not  only  by  the  immediate  members, 
but  also  by  the  neighborhood  in  general,  in  the  success  of  the 
undertaking. 

In  regard  to  the  Chapel  of  St.  Andrews  in  the  Fields,  the  Rev. 
S.  T.  Hotchkin  gives  me  the  following  account : — 

"The  first  regular  services  of  the  Episcopal  Church  were  held  in 
Somerton,  on  Sunday,  October  3,  A.  D.  1897,  in  the  stone  house  at 
the  corner  of  Byberry  Road  and  the  Bustleton  Turnpike,  then 
occupied  by  Mrs.  Thomas  Jackson  and  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Thomas 
Franklin  Arnold.  Mr.  Ervin's  new  store  is  now  on  this  site.  The 
ladies  moved  to  a  house  on  the  Byberry  Road,  in  the  rear  of  the  hotel 
and  there  the  services  were  continued,  beginning  Sunday,  April 
3,  1898.  A  service  was  once  held  previous  to  these  dates  by  the 
Rev.  S.  F.  Hotchkin,  rector  of  the  Memorial  Church  of  St.  Luke, 
the  Beloved  Physician,  Bustleton,  in  a  house  occupied  by  the  same 
family,  second  door  above  Taylor's  Hall. 

John  C.  Lewis,  City  Forester,  who  first  encouraged  the  regular 
service,  became  a  faithful  lay-reader,  and  was  authorized  by  the 
Vestry  of  the  mother  church  of  St.  Luke  to  collect  funds  for  a 
chapel. 


ST.   ANDREWS     IN  THE  FIELDS. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  121 

The  services  were  held  in  Taylor's  Hall,  kindly  loaned,  until  the 
pretty  wooden  'Chapel'  was  erected. 

A  large  lot  on  Somerton  Avenue  was  donated  by  Mrs.  Emma 
Reath,  of  Philadelphia,  and  on  October  26,  A.  D.  1899,  the  corner 
stone  of  the  'Chapel'  was  laid  by  Dean  Perry,  of  the  Germantown 
Convocation,  in  the  absence  of  Bishop  Whitaker.  The  Revs.  W.  W. 
Silvester,  Bissell,  S.  H.  Boyer,  Edward  Ritchie,  G.  A.  Hunt,  W. 
Jordan  and  the  rector,  S.  F.  Hotchkin,  were  present. 

On  January  14,  1900,  the  'Chapel'  was  opened." 

SCHOOLS. 

As  we  have  elsewhere  observed,  the  principal  school  in 
the  townships  previous  to  the  Revolution  was  at  Byberry, 
under  the  control  of  the  Preparative  Meeting.  Throu2:h 
the  efforts  made  by  Friends,  this  school  was  gradually 
improved  in  its  character,  and  fully  kept  pace  with  those 
in  the  adjoining  townships.  In  1776,  John  Eastburn  be- 
queathed to  Byberry  Preparative  Meeting  the  residue  of 
his  estate,  after  certain  legacies  had  been  paid  out,  for 
the  purpose  of  establishing  a  school  fund  which  would 
make  the  school  free.  This  amounted  to  £113  i^.  Sd.,  or 
about  $500,  From  the  Meeting's  record  about  this  time, 
it  would  seem  that  the  subject  of  free  schools  claimed 
more  or  less  the  attention  of  Friends,  but  nothing  was 
done  toward  establishing  such  schools  prior  to  1800.  East- 
burn's  donation  appears,  however,  to  have  made  the  Meet- 
ing more  alive  to  its  duties,  for  in  1789  we  find  that  Wat- 
son Atkinson,  an  able  and  efficient  teacher,  commenced 
teaching  in  a  new  school-house  which  was  built  on  the 
Meeting's  lot.  It  was  only  about  twenty  feet  square,  and 
was  soon  found  to  be  entirely  too  small  to  accommodate 
the  pupils,  so  that  an  addition  was  built  to  it  in  1792. 
Atkinson  was  a  man  of  considerable  talent,  far  ahead  of 
those  previously  engaged  in  teaching  at  this  place,  and 


122  THE  HISTORY  OF 

did  much  toward  improving  the  condition  of  the  school 
by  introducing  the  study  of  Mensuration,  Algebra  and 
Grammar.  The  principal  school-books  then  in  common 
use  were  Bennett's  Primer,  Dilworth's  Speller,  Rose's 
Assistant,  Fuller's  Catechism,  the  New  Testament,  and 
^sop's  Fables,  all  of  which  have  since  passed  out  of  use. 
In  1794,  James  Thornton  died,  and  bequeathed  £100  to- 
ward the  fund  to  establish  a  Friends'  free  school  at  By- 
berry;  and  John  Tow^nsend  at  his  death,  in  1800,  left 
£50  to  be  applied  to  the  same  purpose.  These  two  legacies 
most  probably  induced  Friends  to  take  up  the  subject 
again,  when  the  plans  were  so  far  matured  that  a  free 
school,  the  first  in  the  townships,  was  commenced  in  the 
early  part  of  1802.  It  was  placed  under  the  charge  of 
John  Comly,  who  was  paid  $15  for  the  first  month,  but 
the  salary  was  afterwards  increased.  The  number  of 
pupils  immediately  increased,  and  the  usefulness  of  the 
school  was  thereby  much  extended.  At  the  close  of  that 
year  Thomas  Walton  succeeded  as  teacher,  and  received 
$253.33  ^o^  h^s  year's  work.  In  1805,  the  salary  of  the 
school  was  increased  to  $320  per  annum,  and  was  con- 
tinued at  about  that  rate  until  181 2,  when  the  arrange- 
ments were  altered,  and  the  school  committee  received 
the  income  from  the  fund  and  disbursed  the  money  instead 
of  permitting  it  to  be  paid  to  the  teacher,  as  had  formerly 
been  the  custom.  John  Comly  taught  the  school  previous 
to  its  being  a  free  school,  and  it  is  said  while  he  was  teach- 
er the  school  was  much  improved,  and  pupils  from  a 
distance  came  to  receive  the  benefits  of  his  instruction. 
He  added  Latin  and  Greek  to  the  list  of  studies,  and  sev- 
eral of  the  youth  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  125 

to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  these  languages.  Among  others^ 
who  studied  these  branches,  we  may  mention  Alexander 
Knight  and  Thomas  Walmsley,  two  Byberry  boys,  whO' 
afterwards  studied  medicine  and  became  quite  noted  in 
their  profession.  In  1795,  after  some  consultation,  it 
was  concluded  to  start  a  girls'  school,  and  Hannah  Thorn- 
ton opened  one  at  her  house,  which  continued  for  a  few 
months  only.  Two  years  subsequently  it  was  revived^ 
and  Sarah  Samms  was  employed  as  teacher.  It  was  open- 
ed in  the  'Tittle  Meeting-House,"  but  was  soon  after 
closed.  It  is  stated  that  in  1797  a  school-house  was  built 
near  the  village  of  Somerton,  and  a  school  has  been  reg- 
ularly kept  there  since  that  time.  Among  its  teachers 
we  find  the  names  of  Thomas  Knox,  who  taught  the 
school  for  many  years,  and  was  at  the  same  time  tax 
collector  in  Moreland;  Charles  Dyer,  William  Cameron 
and  James  Bunting.  This  house  was  built  of  stone,  and 
was  torn  down  only  a  few  years  since,  although  it  had 
not  been  used  for  school  purposes  since  1847.  The  idea 
of  a  girls'  school  was  not  given  up  after  the  failure  at 
the  "Meeting-House,"  and  in  1804  John  Comly  was  in-^ 
duced  to  open  a  boarding  school  for  girls  at  his  own 
house,  and,  for  the  accommodation  of  the  neighborhood, 
took  in  day  scholars.  At  first  it  was  successful,  but  for 
some  reason,  in  18 10,  it  was  changed  to  a  boys'  school. 
There  were  several  attempts  made  at  starting  boarding 
schools  in  Byberry  after  this  time,  but  they  met  with  very 
•little  success,  and  were  all  sooner  or  later  discontinued. 
Among  the  more  prominent  of  these  was  one  opened  by 
Thomas  Samms,  Jr.,  at  his  residence,  in  1816,  which  w^as 
continued  one  year,  and  one  kept  by  Eber  Hoopes  for  six 


124  THE  HISTORY  OF 

months,  at  Byberry  Crossroads,  in  1813.  This  commenced 
with  thirty-four  pupils,  but  was  discontinued  for  want  of 
patronage. 

Although  the  school  at  the  Meeting-House  was  started 
as  a  free  school  in  1802,  yet  it  was  free  only  to  those  who 
contributed  to  the  "fund,"  or  to  such  as  were  in  straiten- 
ed circumstances.  Others  paid  by  the  quarter,  as  they  had 
previously  done.  Prior  to  181 3,  the  usual  price  was  $2 
per  quarter,  but  in  that  year  it  was  raised  to  $2.25. 

In  181 1,  a  few  Friends  associated  for  the  purpose  of 
establishing  a  school  for  girls.  They  provided  a  house, 
which  was  placed  on  a  lot  near  the  store,  and  the  school 
went  into  operation  under  the  supervision  of  the  Associa- 
tion. This  school  was  very  successful,  and  was  continued 
in  the  same  building  until  1827,  when  the  house  was  sold 
and  the  school  was  afterwards  kept  in  the  second  story 
of  the  school-house,  on  the  Meeting's  grounds,  until  1838, 
at  which  time  it  was  discontinued.  The  teachers  of  the 
school  were  Ann  Barton,  Rachel  Parry,  Hannah  Barton, 
Elizabeth  Walton,  Lydia  McCarty,  Ann  Webster,  Martha 
Parry,  Sarah  Iden,  Rachel  Pasmore,  Mary  Edmundson, 
Ann  Stevens,  Elizabeth  Knight,  Mary  Shourds,  Ann 
Buckman,  Ann  Churchman,  Deborah  Shaw,  and  Mary 
Beans. 

While  Isaac  Carver  taught  in  the  old  school-house  in 
Byberry,  he  was  somewhat  addicted  to  strong  drink,  and 
Benjamin  Gilbert  went  around  and  persuaded  nearly  all 
his  pupils  from  him,  and  opened  an  opposition  school  in 
the  "Little  Meeting-House."  Carver  still  continued  to 
keep  in  the  old  house,  and  the  pupils  attending  the  two 
schools  fixed  upon  a  line  to  divide  them.     When  either 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  12$ 

party  crossed  this,  the  other  one  would  attack  them  and 
a  fight  would  ensue.  The  school-house  stood  on  William 
Walmsley's  ground,  and  it  was  resolved,  as  Carver  would 
not  close  the  school,  that  William  Walmsley  and  Joseph 
Thornton  should,  on  the  Seventh  day  following,  when 
Carver  had  no  school,  tear  down  the  old  building,  and  thus 
end  the  trouble,  which  was  accordingly  done.  On  .Second 
day,  Carver,  not  knowing  what  had  been  done,  went  as 
usual  to  his  school,  and  to  his  surprise  found  the  house  in 
ruins.  He  then  went  to  Walmsley,  and  threatened  to  sue 
the  perpetrator  of  the  outrage;  but  upon  being  told  who 
did  it,  he  was  satisfied  to  go  no  further  than  to  scold  ver* 
violently  about  the  matter.  After  this  Isaac  kept  a  school 
several  years  in  his  own  house,  where  Richard  Cripps  now 
lives.^  This  he  continued  until  the  year  of  his  decease, 
in  1786. 

In  the  year  1826,  Henry  Pike  opened  a  boarding  school 
on  Byberry  and  Bensalem  turnpike,  near  the  village  of 
Knightsville.  It  was  at  the  house  lately  owned  by  James 
Buckman,  and  was  mainly  for  small  boys.  It  proved  suc- 
cessful, and  was  continued  until  1844,  a  period  of  eighteen 
years. 

In  1832,  Robert  Pitman  made  proposals  for  opening  a 
French  school  in  the  evenings  at  Byberry  school-house. 
His  class  was  small,  and  consisted  principally  of  girls; 
but  as  the  matter  was  discouraged  by  many,  it  was  soon 
discontinued.  Several  small  schools,  taught  by  females, 
were  opened  in  different  parts  of  the  townships  from  time 
to  time,  but  they  were  usually  of  short  continuance;  yet 
they  had  their  use  and  their  place  in  the  great  work  of 

"This  property  is  now  owned  by  John  Jenks. 


126  THE  HISTORY  OF 

education.  The  subject  was  daily  becoming  more  import- 
ant in  the  minds  of  the  people,  and  they  felt  a  desire  to 
^ive  their  children  a  better  education  than  could  be  obtain- 
ed at  any  of  the  common  schools.  Accordingly,  several 
of  the  members  of  Byberry  Meeting,  after  consultation^ 
concluded  to  establish  a  school  where  the  higher  branches 
should  be  taught.  It  was  established  in  1836,  and  David 
Griscom  engaged  as  its  teacher.  Through  his  wist  ad- 
ministration, it  rapidly  rose  in  public  estimation;  pupils 
from  other  vicinities  flocked  to  the  school,  and  its  suc- 
cess seemed  settled  beyond  peradventure.  Some,  who 
were  at  the  head  of  the  matter,  obtained  the  idea  that  it 
would  pay  to  make  a  stock  company  of  the  whole  concern, 
and  to  erect  proper  buildings  for  a  first-class  boarding 
school.  These  were  built  the  next  summer  on  a  portion 
of  James  Thornton's  land,^  at  a  cost  of  about  $4,000, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1838,  the  school  w^as  opened  in  the 
new  buildings  imder  very  favorable  auspices.  But  the 
change  in  the  management  of  the  affairs  seems  to  have 
been  unwise ;  and,  before  the  project  was  fairly  under  way, 
David  Griscom  resigned  on  account  of  poor  health,  ind 
John  Lewis  was  selected  as  his  successor.  The  school, 
however,  was  a  failure;  and  in  1843  the  company  sold  out 
the  whole  concern  at  public  sale  to  James  Thornton  for 
$1,600.  For  several  years  after  this  a  private  boarding 
scliool  was  kept  here,  but  was  never  very  successful,  and 
frequent  changes  were  the  result.  Prominent  among  the 
proprietors  were  John  Lewis  and  Samuel  Smith,  the  lat- 
ter of  whom  remained  two  or  three  years,  and  generally 
had  a  good  school.     It  was  for  both  boys  and  girls,  but 

*  Jesse  Tomlinson  now  owns  this  property. 


BYEERRY  AND  MORELAND.  \2J 

was  discontinued  after  he  left,  and  the  school-house  re- 
moved to  the  lot  fronting  Byberry  store,  and  converted  in- 
to a  dwelling-house. 

A  school  was  started  at  Mechanicsville,  several  years 
since,  and  was  for  some  years  taught  by  Mary  Gilbert, 
and  afterwards  by  Abi  Townsend.  About  the  year  1849 
a  difficulty  arose  in  regard  to  the  black  children  attend- 
ing the  public  school,  and  Charles  Knight,  who  was  then 
one  of  the  directors,  had  the  school  at  Mechanicsville 
changed  into  a  colored  school,  to  be  called  the  James  For- 
ten  School.  Abi  Townsend  was  the  first  teacher  of  this 
school;  after  her  were  Susan  McDowell  and  Hannah 
Clayton,  the  latter  of  whom  is  still  the  teacher.  In  1855, 
this  school  was  changed  to  one  for  white  children,  and 
the  name  is  now  Mechanicsville  School.  While  it  was  a 
school  for  colored  children  but  few  of  that  class  patronized 
it,  but  the  most  of  them  sent  to  the  Friends'  school  at  the 
meeting-house.  For  a  number  of  years  back  no  distinc- 
tion has  been  made,  and  all,  without  regard  to  color,  have 
been  admitted  into  the  public  schools.  For  many  years  a 
school  was  kept  at  Pleasantville,  and  Charles  Dyer  was 
its  last  teacher.  His  salary,  in  1846,  was  only  two  hun- 
dred dollars  per  annum.  It  was  discontinued  in  1847, 
and  the  pupils  have  since  attended  the  school  at  Somerton. 
The  present  school-house  at  the  latter  place  was  built  in 
1847,  on  the  lot  within  a  few  yards  of  the  old  one.  It  is 
only  one  story  high,  is  called  the  Patrick  Henry  School, 
and  will  accommodate  about  seventy  pupils.  James  Bunt- 
ing, its  present  teacher,  has  been  there  for  several  years, 
and  was  the  successor  of  William  Cameron,  a  Scotchman, 
who  for  manv  vears  was  considered  the  most  learned 


128  THE  history' OF 

teacher  anywhere  in  that  vicinity.  He  was  sometimes 
fond  of  indulging  in  "spirits,"  and  on  such  occasions 
would  be  very  amusing  to  the  pupils  under  his  charge. 
The  only  school  now  or  for  many  years  kept  in  Moreland 
is  on  the  road  leading  from  the  Lady  Washington  Hotel 
to  the  Red  Lion  Hotel,  on  the  Bristol  turnpike,  a  short 
distance  from  where  it  crosses  the  Bustleton  and  Somer- 
ton  road.^^  We  have  not  met  with  any  account  of  its 
early  history,  and,  after  considerable  inquiry,  have  been 
able  to  collect  only  the  following  meagre  sketch.  There 
has  been  a  school  kept  in  this  place  since  1790.  It  was 
for  many  years  a  pay  school,  and  was  then  taught  by 
the  following  persons,  probably  in  the  order  in  which 
we  give  their  names:  John  Watts,  Samuel  Helverson, 
Alexander  Burke,  John  Bankson,  Howard  Trego,  George 
C.  Bancroft,  Jesse  Wright,  Charlotte  Wright,  Martha 
Walton,  J.  E.  Willis,  and  James  Wheatland.  In  1830, 
Howard  Trego  was  the  teacher  of  this  school,  and  is  still 
spoken  of  as  having  been  an  ecxellent  one.  The  price 
of  tuition  then  was  two  dollars  per  quarter,  and  in  1835 
three  cents  per  day,  the  stationery  and  fuel  being  extra. 
This  school  was  placed  under  the  charge  of  the  Controllers 
of  the  First  School  Section,  about  1837.  The  old  school- 
house  was  built  of  stone,  and,  by  a  system  of  packing,  fifty 
or  sixty  pupils  were  frequently  found  within  its  walls. 
It  was  in  a  very  dilapidated  condition  for  many  years  pre- 
vious to  1842,  and  a  new  building  was  badly  needed;  ac- 
cordingly, soon  after  this  date,  the  Controllers  erected 
the  present  house  on  the  site  of  the  old  one.  At  that  time 
no  deed  for  the  property,  and  no  record  of  any  kind,  could 

"  See  account  of  the  schools  of  Moreland  elsewhere. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  I29 

anywhere  be  found ;  the  inhabitants  of  the  township  there- 
fore met,  and  agreed  to  give  up  all  right,  title,  etc.,  to  the 
Controllers  forever,  on  condition  of  their  erecting  a  new 
building,  which  they  did  at  an  expense  of  eight  hundred 
dollars.  There  were  two  old  weeping  willows  that  ?tood 
a  few  feet  south  of  the  old  school-house,  and  these  were 
the  only  shade  trees  on  the  ground.  In  the  southern  end 
of  the  lot  was  an  open  spring  where  the  pump  is  now, 
and,  as  the  lot  was  not  fenced  in  from  the  public  road,  it 
afforded  water  to  the  road  cattle  as  well  as  to  the  children, 
and  was  often  in  such  a  filthy  condition  as  to  be  unfit  to 
drink.  The  woodland  back  of  the  school-house  then  ex- 
tended up  to  the  lot,  and  was  a  favorite  place  of  resort 
for  the  pupils,  who  usually  spent  most  of  their  noons  in 
rambling  through  it ;  but  for  many  years  back  this  has  been 
inclosed,  and  the  children  not  permitted  within  its  limits. 
Since  the  new  school-house  was  built,  William  A.  Murray, 
John  B.  Newell,  George  W.  Fetter,  John  Murray,  Lewis 
Felton,  Joseph  C.  Martindale,  William  Cameron,  William 
Burke,  William  H.  Neville,  and  Joseph  Morison,  have 
been  its  teachers.  The  school  is  not  so  well  attended  as 
in  former  years,  and  the  pupils  not  so  far  advanced. 

A  school  was  kept  for  several  years  at  Knightsville,  on 
the  Byberry  and  Bensalem  turnpike.  It  was  always 
small,  and  was  at  first  in  a  part  of  the  house  since  owned 
by  Judge  Knight.  Afterwards  it  was  kept  in  a  small  tene- 
ment nearly  opposite  to  where  John  B'evan^^  now  resides. 
After  the  new  school-houses  were  erected  in  Byberry,  in 
1847,  it  was  discontinued,  and  the  old  house  was  moved 

"This  property  is  now  owned  by  Joseph  Root. 
9 


130  THE  HISTORY  OF 

back  into  John  Tomlinson's  orchard, ^^  where  it  is  now 
used  as  a  sort  of  store-house  in  general.  The  principal 
teachers  of  this  school  were  Susan  Albertson,  Mary  L. 
Packer,  Charles  Sayre,  and  Jane  Hillborn. 

A  school  was  kept  for  a  short  time  on  what  is  now  the 
Byberry  and  Andalusia  turnpike,  in  a  small  house  on 
Emmor  Comly's  farm.  The  house  is  now  used  as  a 
dwelling.  It  was  called  Byberry  Primary  School,  but 
continued  only  a  few  months.  Jane  Hillborn,  I  think, 
was  the  only  teacher.  About  the  year  1842  a  boarding- 
school  for  girls  was  commenced  by  Sarah  Comly  at  her 
residence,  in  Byberry.  It  continued  about  three  years, 
and  was  pretty  well  attended,  numbering  as  its  pupils 
nearly  all  the  larger  girls  in  the  neighborhood.  In  the 
year  1800  a  school-house  was  built  at  Powelton,  on  the 
Byberry  and  Moreland  line,  on  a  lot  given  by  Silas  Wal- 
ton and  Edward  Duffield,  for  school  purposes ;  and  during 
the  same  year,  a  log  house  was  erected  thereon.  ^^  It  was 
called  the  Byberry  and  Moreland  School,  and  has  been 
kept  up  regularly  since  that  time.  In  1854  the  Controllers 
had  the  lot  conveyed  to  them,  and  a  new  stone  building 
was  erected  near  the  site  of  the  old  one.  The  lot  is  beauti- 
fully situated,  having  a  gentle  slope  to  the  road,  and  an 
abundance  of  shade  trees.  Many  of  these  are  maples; 
hence,  when  the  new  building  was  erected,  it  was  desig- 
nated as  the  "Maple  Grove  School."    Soon  after  this  the 

"This  property  is  now  owned  by  Linford  Shoemaker. 

"  Powelton  was  named  in  memory  of  Thomas  Powel,  who  dwelt 
in  the  house  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Lawler.  His  son  was  Dr.  Powel 
of  Bustleton  and  his  grandson  is  Dr.  William  Powel  of  Bryn  Mawr. 
The  origin  of  this  school  will  be  mentioned  in  an  account  of  Edward 
Duffield. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  13! 

old  log  house  was  sold  at  public  sale  to  Isaac  White  and 
taken  down,  and  nothing  now  remains  to  tell  where  it 
stoocj.  Pupils  from  both  of  the  townships  attend  this 
school,  yet  it  has  always  been  rather  small.  We  have  met 
with  no  account  of  its  teachers,  and  can  now  recollect  only 
the  following:  Joseph  Naylor,  Richard  Burke,  Samuel 
Jones,  Jacob  Sides,  Monroe  L.  Vansant,  Francis  Tomlin- 
son,  James  Houseman,  Elwood  P.  Dudley,  John  W.  Saur- 
man,  and  William  Wheatland,  the  latter  of  whom  still 
imparts  wisdom  to  the  rising  generation  under  his  care. 

About  the  year  1847,  Naylor's  System  of  Geography 
was  introduced  into  the  townships,  and  a  class  was  started 
at  Byberry  Hall  by  Henry  Laffert.     By  this  system  the 
geography  of  the  whole  world  was  taught  in  three  weeks, 
the  class  chanting  the  names  of  the  towns,  rivers,  islands, 
etc.,  from  large  outline  maps.     Soon  after  this,  James 
Thornton,  Jr.,  started  a  class  at  the  "College,"  and  after- 
wards had  another  at  the  Byberry  school-house,  both  of 
which  were  well  attended.    A  school  of  the  same  kind  was 
afterwards  started  by  Abigail  Roberts,  and  the  system 
was  finally  introduced  into  the  public  schools,  but  it  did 
not  answer  well  there,  and  was  long  since  discontinued. 
In  the  year  1816,  some  of  the  people  in  the  northern  part 
of  Byberry  became  dissatisfied  with  the  school  at  the 
meeting-house,  and  desired  to  have  a  school-house  built  in 
a  place  more    convenient  to    them.     After    considerable 
noise  respecting  the  establishment  of  this  school,  it  was 
finally  agreed  that  one  should  be  erected  on  land  which 
James  Walton  and  Mardon  Wilson  were  willing  to  sell 
for  that  purpose.     This  lot  was  situated  on  what  is  now 
Byberry  and  Bensalem  turnpike,  opposite  to  the  woods 


132  THE  HISTORY  OF 

lately  owned  by  Charles  Walmsley.^^  It  contained  about 
half  an  acre  of  land,  for  which  was  paid  sixty  dollars, 
and  it  was  always  left  open  to  the  public  road,  so  that  it 
was  a  rendezvous  for  sheep,  cows,  etc.  The  house  erected 
thereon  during  the  same  year  was  a  small  one-story  stone 
building  twenty  by  twenty-five  feet.  It  would  ^eat  about 
forty  pupils  uncomfortably,  and  cost  only  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  dollars.  Joseph  Comly,  John  Roberts,  James 
Bonner,  Israel  Walton,  James  Walton,  Mardon  Wilson, 
and  Josiah  Walton,  were  among  the  prime  movers  in  this 
matter.  The  school  w^as  placed  under  the  care  of  Byberry 
Preparative  Meeting,  and  trustees  were  annually  appoint- 
ed by  that  body  to  have  charge  of  it. 

The  yard  was  a  few^  feet  higher  than  the  road,  and  was 
filled  with  trees,  several  of  which  were  walnuts,  hence  the 
beautiful  and  appropriate  name  of  "Walnut  Hill,"  by 
which  the  school  has  ever  been  known.  This  spot  has 
been  the  scene  of  many  joys  in  times  gone  by,  and  many 
now  living  can  revert  with  pleasure  to  their  school  days 
at  Walnut  Hill.  In  front  of  the  lot  was  a  piece  of  wood- 
land containing  several  acres,  belonging  to  Charles 
Walmsley,  through  which  the  school  children  rambled 
at  pleasure  to  pluck  the  earliest  spring  flowers  that  shoot 
forth  almost  from  beneath  the  snow,  or  gather  a  bouquet 
of  asters  and  golden  rods  even  after  the  chill  November 
winds  had  caused  all  others  to  wither  and  die.  To  the 
east,  and  only  a  few  yards  away,  a  little  brook  flowed  mer- 
rily along,  affording  to  the  boys  a  fine  opportunity  for 
constructing  mills,  milldams,  water- falls,  etc.,  and  it  was 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Elijah  Osmond.    The  old  school 
has  been  torn  down. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 33 

seldom  in  the  summer  time  that  some  of  these  could  not 
be  seen  along  its  course.  A  few  fish  also  sported  be- 
neath its  clear  surface,  and  the  little  boys  who  were  fond 
of  angling  often,  with  a  thread  and  crooked  pin,  spent  an 
entire  noon  in  the  vain  attempt  to  draw  a  minnow  or  a 
redfin  from  beneath  the  roots  that  overhung  the  stream. 
Some  fine  old  chestnut  trees  stood  along  the  meeting- 
house road  by  the  woods,  and  these,  as  well  as  the  or- 
chard belonging  to  Watson  Comly/^  were  frequently 
visited  by  those  who  were  fond  of  chestnuts  and  apples — 
and  what  boys  are  not? — much  to  the  detriment  of  the 
owner.  But  the  palmy  days  of  Walnut  Hill  are  gone, 
for  not  a  walnut  tree  now  remains  on  the  lot,  and  the  old 
school-house  stands  desolate  and  alone, — a  wreck  of  its 
former  usefulness.  The  cheerful  voices  of  merry  children 
no  more  are  heard  within  its  walls,  for  it  is  now  only  a 
receptacle  for  posts  and  cordwood;  and  the  greensward 
on  which  hundreds  of  rollicking  youths  have  whiled  away 
many  a  happy  hour,  has  been  turned  down  by  the  plow, 
and  all  traces  of  their  childlike  games,  like  many  of 
themselves,  are  gone  forever.  When  last  we  passed  that 
way  the  door  stood  open ;  one  shutter  was  gone  and  an- 
other much  broken ;  the  fence  had  been  removed  from  the 
lot;  and  there  was  but  little  left  to  remind  the  traveller 
that  it  had  ever  been  a  school.  There  have  doubtlessly 
been  several  teachers  at  this  place,  but  we  have  met  with 
the  names  of  but  few  of  them.  These  few  are  Mary  W^al- 
ton,  Ethan  Wilson,  Joseph  Wilson,  Aaron  Ivins,  Dubre 
Knight,  Charles  Dyer,  Catharine  Dermot,  Howard  Tre- 
go, Randall  Myers,  Mary  Beans,  George  W.  Huntsman, 

"This  property  is  now  owned  by  Joseph  Buckman. 


134  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Maria  Houseman,  John  Lewis,  Albanus  Groom,  John 
Reese,  and  Benjamin  Walton.  Ethan  Wilson  was  among 
the  first  teachers  at  this  school,  and  did  not  give  entire 
satisfaction,  so  the  trustees  told  him  "to  quit"  at  the  end 
of  the  quarter.  Ethan,  however,  thought  differently,  and 
refused  to  go.  The  trustees  reasoned  with  him,  but  as  he 
would  not  do  their  way  they  thought  it  best  to  do  his,  and 
he  went  when  he  got  ready.  Ethan  was  very  fond  of 
arguing,  and  attended  all  the  debating  schools  in  the 
vicinity,  where  many  a  Demosthenes  was  forced  to 

"Own  his  skill, 
For  even  though  vanquished  he  could  argue  still." 

Charles  Dyer  taught  the  school  for  many  years,  and  was 
much  esteemed  as  a  good  teacher;  but  like  most  others 
who  follow  that  profession  for  a  long  series  of  years,  he 
became  very  cross  in  his  old  days,  and  the  mischievous 
boys  often  rued  their  conduct  when  the  flexible  hickory 
fell  unsparingly  upon  their  backs. 

On  one  occasion  the  stovepipe  fell  down,  and  the  old 
man,  while  putting  it  up,  unfortunately  burned  his  fingers, 
when,  in  order  to  alleviate  the  pain,  he  flogged  all  the  boys 
who  were  in  the  school-room  at  the  time.  But  with  all  his 
harshness  he  was  a  kind  old  soul,  and  his  many  good 
deeds  will  continue  to  live  after  his  few  errors  are  forgot- 
ten. This  school  was  discontinued  in  1847,  when  the  new 
school-houses  were  finished,  and  most  of  the  pupils  were 
transferred  to  the  Godfrey  School,  at  Lazy  Lane.  Some 
few  attempted  a  private  school  there  under  the  charge  of 
Benjamin  Walton  as  teacher,  but  a  few  months  sufficed 
to  close  the  school,  to  be  opened  no  more.  Some  years 
after  that  an  Act  of  the  Legislature  was  obtained  by  Israel 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  I35 

Walton,  John  P.  Townsend,  and  others,  to  sell  the  prop- 
erty ;  accordingly  it  was  sold,  and  now  belongs  to  David 
Dyer.  The  money  arising  from  this  sale,  amounting  to 
$200,  has  been  put  at  interest  so  as  to  create  a  fund  for 
procuring  better  accommodations  for  Byberry  Library. 

In  1847,  the  Controllers  of  Public  Schools  concluded, 
for  the  better  accommodation  of  the  children  in  Byberry, 
to  build  three  new  school-houses, — one  at  Somerton,  one 
at  Lazy  Lane,  and  one  at  Cresson's  Corner.  The  one  at 
vSomerton  we  have  already  spoken  of  in  a  previous  para- 
graph. The  other  two  were  opened  in  1848,  by  the  direc- 
tors, Charles  Knight,  John  Tomlinson,  and  Lewis  Rum- 
ford.  The  erection  of  these  school-houses  was  violently 
opposed  by  many  of  the  inhabitants,  who  refused  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  opportunity  to  school  their  children  at 
the  public's  expense.  The  schools,  and  all  connected  with 
them,  were  denounced  in  the  most  bitter  terms,  and  the 
children  who  attended  were  styled  pauper  children.  One 
man  went  so  far  as  to  declare  that  he  would  never  permit 
his  children  to  attend  the  public  schools  while  he  had  "an 
under  garment"  for  his  back,  yet  in  a  few  months  his  chil- 
dren were  sent  to  the  identical  school,  and  the  gentleman, 
it  is  presumed,  wears  a  shirt  to  this  day.  So  odious  were 
those  institutions  to  some,  that  they  forbade  their  children 
even  to  walk  across  the  school-house  grounds ;  but  time, 
the  great  assuager  of  all  evils,  real  and  imaginary,  and 
self-interest,  the  producer  of  the  "second  and  more  sober 
thought,"  soon  induced  them  to  patronize  the  new  schools, 
which  have  since  become  their  pride  rather  than  their  dis- 
grace. ^^ 

"Previous  to  1834,  two  kinds  of  schools  existed,  known  as  pauper 


136  THE  HISTORY  OF 

The  school  at  Lazy  Lane  was  built  upon  a  lot  pur- 
chased of  Watson  Comly,  by  the  city,  and  was  named  the 
Godfrey  School,  after  the  inventor  of  the  quadrant, 
Thomas  Godfrey.  It  is  beautifully  located;  and  as  the 
yard  was  planted  with  shade  trees  soon  after  the  erection 
of  the  building,  there  is  now  plenty  of  shade  to  shield  the 
pupils  from  the  burning  heat  of  the  summer's  sun.  The 
teachers  at  this  school  have  been  James  Ivins,  Robert 
Tvins,  Edward  Ivins,  Robert  Eastburn,  Francis  Tomlin- 
son,  Henry  Tschudi,  J.  C.  Martindale,  Charles  A.  Sin- 
ger, E.  A.  Singer,  Robert  Barnwell,  John  B.  Iredell, 
James  W.  Lear,  and  Charles  Roberts,  the  latter  gentle- 
man still  occupying  the  situation. 

The  school  at  Cresson's  Corner  was  built  on  a  lot  pur- 
chased from  Lewis  Rumford,  by  the  Controllers,  and  was 
named  the  Benjamin  Rush  vSchool,  after  Dr.  Benjamin 
Rush,  one  of  the  most  noted  of  Byberry's  citizens.  The 
school  was  first  taught  by  Jacob  Sides,  who  remained 
there  for  several  years,  and  was  accounted  a  good  teacher. 
He  is  now  Principal  of  the  Newton  Boys*  Grammar 
School,  in  West  Philadelphia.  The  next  teacher  was  J. 
M.  Van  Arsdalen,  who  has  since  studied  law,  and  now  is 
a  member  of  the  bar  in  Bucks  County.  Since  his  time 
the  teachers  have  been  Wallace  Dudley,  George  M. 
Sayre,  John  W.  Saurman,  George  Gilbert,  Charles  G. 
Freed,  and  Jacob  H.  Lukens.  This  school  is  not  so  well 
located  as  that  at  Lazy  Lane,  and  the  attendance  is  not  so 
large. 

and  pay  schools.  The  act  of  1834  as  amended  in  1835  and  1836 
established  the  present  school  system.  Its  passage  excited  the 
greatest  opposition  throughout  the  State. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 37 

We  have  now  given  a  short  account  of  all  the  schools 
within  the  townships  except  the  one  at  the  meeting- 
house, which  is  known  as  Byberry  School,  and  which  is 
the  most  ancient  as  well  as  interesting  institution  of 
learning  in  either  place.  We  have  already  spoken  of  some 
of  the  early  teachers  of  this  school,  and  of  some  of  the 
difficulties  which  impeded  it  in  its  career  of  usefulness; 
but  owing  to  the  liberal  opinions  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  who  have  always  fostered  institutions  of  learn- 
ing, its  progress  has  been  onward,  and  generally  in  ad- 
vance of  all  its  contemporaries.  The  old  house  built  in 
1792,  and  which  is  still  remembered  by  some  of  the  older 
inhabitants  as  the  one  in  which  they  obtained  the  major 
part  of  their  early  education,  remained  standing  until 
1823,  when  the  present  building  was  erected  in  its  place. 
This  house  is  about  twenty  feet  wide  by  thirty  feet  long, 
two  stories  high,  and  is  built  of  stone.  The  lower  floor  is 
now  occupied  for  school  purposes,  and  will  seat  about 
fifty  pupils,  but  on  the  second  floor  a  small  room  has  been 
partitioned  ofl'  for  the  Byberry  Library.  The  remaining 
part  still  has  the  school  furniture  in  it,  although  no  school 
has  been  kept  here  since  the  year  1847.  I"^  the  lower 
room  a  single  row  of  desks  were  formerly  placed  around 
next  to  the  walls,  so  that  all  the  pupils  sat  facing  the 
stones  and  mortar,  and  mostly  had  their  backs  to  the 
teacher.  The  benches  consisted  of  a  number  of  stools, 
without  backs,  fastened  to  a  plank  ten  or  twelve  feet  long, 
and  so  arranged  as  to  suit  the  desks.  On  these  the  pupils 
sat  from  morning  till  night,  leaning  over  their  desks  in 
front,  but  without  any  support  whatever  for  their  backs. 
The  desks  had  lids,  which  could  be  lifted  up  when  it  was 


138  THE  HISTORY  OF 

desired  to  examine  the  contents  within ;  and  the  boys  and 
girls  might  often  be  seen  with  the  Hds  resting  on  their 
heads,  much  to  their  detriment  in  the  way  of  study.  In 
the  centre  of  the  room,  previous  to  1840,  stood  the  old 
wood  stove,  in  which  many  a  cord  of  oak  and  hickory  had 
been  consumed.  It  was  then  the  duty  of  the  larger  boys 
to  split  up  enough  wood  to  keep  the  room  warm;  and 
when  an  arm-load  was  wanted,  one  of  them  was  detached 
for  that  duty,  and  soon  returned  with  the  required 
amount.  At  noon-time  the  boys  and  girls  took  turns  in 
sweeping  out  the  school-room;  but  neither  this  nor  the 
splitting  of  wood  was  then  considered  a  hardship, 
although  they  might  occasion  a  little  "grumbling"  if 
enforced  ^t  the  present  day. 

Then,  too,  we  had  the  good  old  quill  pens,  which  were 
regularly  mended  by  the  teacher  after  each  lesson  in  writ- 
ing, which  was  generally  given  morning  and  afternoon. 
The  copies,  too,  had  to  be  ruled  by  him — a  task  never  im- 
posed upon  the  teacher  now.  Soon  after  this  the  steel  pen 
was  introduced,  and  at  first  the  price  was  as  high  as  ten 
cents  for  a  single  pen.  The  school-room  then  had  but 
little  furniture,  and  for  many  years  after  I  commenced 
going,  we  had  not  an  outline  map,  a  chart,  or  a  black- 
board in  the  school.  The  first  blackboard  I  ever  saw  was 
one  made  of  poplar  boards,  planed  smooth  and  painted 
black,  and  brought  to  the  school  in  1845  ^Y  J^^^  WiU 
liard.  It  answered  the  purpose  as  long  as  I  attended  the 
school.  On  it  the  teacher,  at  long  intervals,  performed  an 
example  in  arithmetic;  but  the  principal  use  made  of  it 
was  to  teach  the  smaller  children  their  tables. 

The  books  then  in  use  were  Pike's  and  Rose's  Arithme- 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 39 

tics,  the  New  Testament,  the  Introduction,  English 
Reader,  Sequel,  Cowper's  Task,  the  Expositor,  Comly's 
Speller,  and  Olney's  Geography.  All  of  these  have  long 
since  been  discarded  for  the  much  better  ones  now  pub- 
lished. Very  little  explanation  of  any  kind  was  then 
given  by  the  teacher,  and  the  only  wonder  now  is  that  the' 
pupils  learned  anything  at  all.  This  school,  as  well  as 
all  others  in  the  townships,  remained  under  the  control  of 
Byberry  Preparative  Meeting  until  about  the  year  1847, 
when  the  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions  appointed  Charles 
Knight  and  John  P.  Townsend  directors  for  Byberry; 
and  Jacob  Shearer,  Jr.,  and  Thomas  Reading,  for  More- 
land.  1850,  John  P.  Townsend,  Charles  Walmsley,  and 
Yarnall  Walton  were  directors  for  Byberry,  and  Jacob 
Shearer,  Thomas  Reading,  and  Jacob  Saurman  for  More- 
land. 

vSoon  after  this  they  ceased  to  be  appointed  by  the 
Court,  and  have  ever  since  been  elected  by  the  people. 
The  following  are  the  names  of  the  teachers  since  1784, 
as  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  obtain  them :  Christopher 
Smith,  Watson  Atkinson,  John  Comly,  Thomas  Walton, 
Ethan  Comly,  Benjamin  Moore,  Joshua  Gilbert,  Isaac 
Moore,  Robert  Parry,  Charles  Hampton,  Eber  Hoopes, 
Job  Lippincott,  Nathaniel  Petti t,  Mardon  Wilson,  John 
Maule,  John  Dickenson,  Charles  Atherton,  Joshua  V. 
Buckman,  Joshua  Gilbert,  Howard  L.  Trego,  Seth  Trego, 
William  Wood,  Ruth  Banes,  Joshua  Fell,  Hannah  Fell, 
Sarah  Fell,  James  Ivins,  George  A.  Newbold,  Elliot 
Smith,  Watson  C.  Martindale,  Jane  Hillborn,  Rebecca 
Buckman,  Elizabeth  Comly,  Hughes  Gourley  and  Achsah 
Blakey. 


I40  THE  HISTORY  OF 

John  Comly  was  probably  the  most  prominent  among 
this  Hst  of  teachers,  and  is  said  to  have  improved  the 
school  more  than  any  of  his  predecessors.  Joshua  V. 
Buckman  is  spoken  of  as  having  been  an  excellent  teacher. 
After  he  left  Byberry  he  was  for  some  years  principal  of 
the  grammar  school  at  Bristol,  and  is  now  a  resident  of 
that  pi  ace.  ^"^  I  Jo  ward  L.  Trego,  who  commenced  there 
in  1834,  was  a  teacher  much  beloved  by  his  pupils,  and 
was  held  in  high  esteem  by  his  employers.  He  was  very 
much  interested  in  the  study  of  natural  science,  and  was 
one  of  the  founders  and  most  active  members  of  the  By- 
berry  Philosophical  Society.  He  was  probably  one  of 
the  best  botanists  that  have  ever  resided  in  the  townships, 
and  is  spoken  of  by  those  who  frequently  enjoyed  his  com- 
pany while  rambling  through  the  woods  and  meadows,  as 
having  a  very  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  flora  of  that 
vicinity.  He  was  fitted  as  a  close  observer  of  Nature's 
laws,  and  could  detect  diiYerences  in  the  forms  of  plants, 
and  arrange  them  under  their  proper  orders,  with  more 
facility  than  most  persons.  This  love  of  flowers  he  car- 
ried with  him  to  the  school-house,  and  on  each  side  of  the 
door  might  be  seen  a  ilower-bed  containing  many  beauti- 
ful floral  specimens,  which  he  tended  with  his  own  hand. 

"  Mahlon  Carver  laments  the  condition  of  the  school  during  hisboy- 
hood.  Seth  Trego  was  cruel  to  his  children.  Joshua  Buckman, 
while  teaching  at  Bristol,  beat  a  child  until  it  became  unconscious. 
It  was  carried  home  and  soon  died.  Joshua  Gilbert  seems  to  have 
been  made  the  butt  of  a  great  deal  of  mischief.  The  boys  of  the 
school  had  an  old  army  musket  cut  into  sections.  From  these  they 
made  a  kind  of  pistol.  The  boys  fired  these  so  often  in  the  school 
that  they  became  a  nuisance  and  Joshua  Gilbert  threatened  to  throw 
the  first  one  he  found  into  the  stove.  The  boys,  accordingly,  charged 
one  to  its  capacity  and  allowed  Joshua  to  find  it.  Upon  throwing 
it  into  the  stove,  an  explosion  occurred  which  nearly  demolished  the 
€tove. 


EYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  I4I 

He  was  kind  to  his  pupils,  and  in  turn  they  loved  and  re- 
spected him.    After  leaving  the  Byberry  school  he  started 
a  boarding-school  on  the  Bristol  turnpike,  near  Andalusia, 
and  after  residing  there  a  few  years  he  went  out  W'est, 
where  he  was  killed  by  the  fall  of  his  house,  during  one 
of  the  terrible  hurricanes  that  sometimes  sweep  over  those 
western  plains.    He  was  succeeded  by  Seth  Trego,  a  man 
of  violent  temper,  and  one  totally  unfit  to  be  an  instructor 
of  youth.    The  large  pupils  were  permitted  to  do  as  they 
pleased,  while  the    smaller    ones    were    abused  without 
mercy.    He  remained  but  a  few  months;  yet  his  conduct 
toward  us  was  so  imkind  that  I  never  think  of  him  but 
with  feelings  of    regret  that   he   ever   was   my  teacher. 
While  here,  he,  along  with  some  others,  sent  up  a  balloon 
from  the  lot  in  front  of  the  store.     It  went  about  a  mile^ 
then  lodged  in  some  tall  trees,  from  which  it  was  soon 
after  obtained  by  those  who  sent  it  up.    It  created  consid- 
erable excitement  in  the  neighborhood  at  the  time.     The 
next  teacher  was  William  Wood,  who  lacked  the  neces- 
sary nerve  to  preserve  good  order.     At  that  time  many 
large  boys  attended  the  school ;  and  it  was  no  uncommon 
thing,  in  the  winter  season,  to  have  upwards  of  seventy 
pupils  in  attendance,  and  twenty  of  these  over  sixteen 
years  of  age.   On  one  occasion,  one  of  the  large  boys  got 
into  trouble  with  the  teacher,  when  a  scuffle  ensued,  and 
the  teacher,  aided  by  one  of  the  other  pupils,  gave  the 
offender  a  "sound  drubbing."     Joshua  Fell  came  about 
1840,  and  continued  to  be  our  teacher  for  upwards  of  six 
years.     He  was  a  successful  teacher,  and  advanced  the 
pupils  more  rapidly  than  any  of  his  predecessors.     He 
kept  excellent  order,  and  was  generally  beloved  by  his 


142  THE  HISTORY  OF 

pupils.  But  few  pranks  were  played  while  he  was  there, 
for 

"Full  well  the  boding  trembler  learned  to  trace 
The  day's  disasters  in  his  morning's  face;" 

and  full  well  did  we  all  know  that  his  word  was  law,  and 
that  his  dignity  was  not  to  be  trifled  with.  After  leav- 
ing- the  school,  he  commenced  the  mercantile  business 
in  Bucks  County,  where  he  still  resides. 

In  1848,  this  school  was  given  up  by  the  Controllers 
of  Philadelphia,  and  it  has  since  been  under  the  charge 
of  the  meeting,  and  been  supported  by  the  school  fund. 

Connected  with  my  school-boy  days,  at  this  place,  are 
some  reminiscences  which  I  cannot  neglect  to  chronicle 
liere,  for 

"In  my  poor  mind  it  is  most  sweet  to  muse 
Upon  the  days  gone  by — to  act  in  thought 
Past  seasons  o'er,  and  be  again  a  child." 

As  this  school-house  is  on  the  meeting's  property,  the 
pupils  have  always  been  allowed  the  entire  range  of  the 
grounds  during  their  hour  of  recreation,  and  well  have 
they  used  it  for  their  enjoyment.  In  the  winter-time 
and  in  rainy  weather  the  long  rows  of  sheds  offered  a 
most  glorious  place  for  playing  ball :  and  during  the  sum- 
mer the  large  yard,  so  well  filled  with  shade  trees,  fur- 
nished to  all  an  opportunity  for  recreation  and  amuse- 
ment such  as  the  pupils  of  other  schools  have  seldom 
known.  Fronting  the  house,  and  only  a  few  yards  from 
the  door,  stands  a  large  white  oak,  which  has  endured 
the  storms  of  many  a  winter ;  and  at  each  end  may  still 
be  seen  a  large  willow  tree,  whose  leaves  have  kept  off 
the  rays  of  the  morning  and  evening  sun  for  upwards  of 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 43 

half  a  century.  A  little  to  the  south  is  the  pump,  shaded 
by  a  smaller  willow,  which  has  grown  from  a  small  limb 
stuck  there  while  I  was  a  school -boy.  In  the  northwest- 
ern part  of  the  yard  stands  a  noble  old  oak,  under  whose 
wide-spreading  arms  we  have  spent  many  an  hour,  some- 
times listening  to  the  sweet  songs  of  the  birds  in  its 
branches,  and  at  others  stretched  out  upon  the  green- 
sward, and  with  half-closed  eyes  listlessly  musing  upon 
the  events  of  our  boyhood  life.  At  the  south  end  of  the  lot 
are  two  large  buttonwoods,  near  which  the  old  school- 
house  formerly  stood,  and  under  which  is  the  well,  though 
now  covered  up,  at  which  our  fathers  and  grandfathers 
often  slaked  their  thirst.^^  Some  of  the  small  trees,  up 
which  we  often  climbed  and  bent  over  till  their  tops  touch- 
ed the  earth,  are  now  of  such  dimensions  as  would  re- 
quire an  hour's  hard  labor  to  fell  them  to  the  ground. 
The  whole  of  this  yard  is  covered  with  grass,  and  has 
been  the  playground  for  thousands  of  happy  children  who 
knew  no  sorrow.  Well  do  I  recollect  those  joyous  hours, 
when  in  company  with  my  playmates  we  leaped  the  cat- 
gallows,  hid  the  handkerchief,  played  blind  man's  buff, 
chased  the  flitting  butterfly,  or  whipped  the  humble-bee's 
nest — hours  fraught  with  pleasure,  unmarred  by  their 
usually  accompanying  pains;  but  those  joyful  moments, 
almost  the  only  real  happy  ones  of  life,  are  past  and  gone, 
and  many  who  were  then  participators,  now  sleep  be- 
neath the  little  mounds  of  the  silent  graveyard,  while 
others  are  still  roaming  o'er  the  wide  world  to  seek  a 

"  This  old  well  was  near  the  site  of  the  second  meeting-house. 


144 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


fortune  or  a  name.     Yet,  amid  the  turmoils  and  cares 
of  this  life,  we  often  revert  to  the  past,  for 

"How  sweet  to  every  feeling  heart 

Is  the  mem'ry  of  the  past; 
To  think  of  days  when  love  and  joy 

Around  our  hearts  were  cast ; 
To  let  our  thoughts  swift  take  their  flight 

O'er  days  when  life  was  new, 
To  roam  through  haunts  of  pleasant  youth, 

And  all  those  scenes  again  renew." 

ASSESSAIENTS,  ETC. 

The  names  of  nearly  all  the  early  settlers  of  the  town- 
ships have  been  lost,  for  want  of  some  chronicler  to  hand 
them  down  to  future  generations ;  but  a  man's  necessities 
will  sometimes  compel  him  to  do  what  he  would  other- 
wise have  but  little  taste  for,  and  such  seems  to  have  been 
the  case  with  Thomas  Knight,  who  kept  a  store  in  By- 
berry,  in  1775.  It  was  customary  then  as  now  for  men  to 
buy  on  credit,  and  Thomas  was  forced  to  enter  their 
names  on  his  books,  together  with  the  articles  which  each 
one  purchased.  These  books  contain  over  one  hundred 
names,  which  is  the  earliest  list  that  we  have  found. 
Among  these  we  find  the  Waltons,  Townsends,  Parrys,. 
Willards,  Greens,  Vankirks,  Edwardses,  Fosters,  Rod- 
mans, Freemans,  Woodingtons,  Streets,  Enochses,. 
Stateses,  Grooms,  Walmsleys,  Hibbses,  Dungans,  Vande- 
grifts,  Gilberts,  Tomlinsons,  Randalls,  Comlys,  Hallo- 
wells,  and  Wilsons. 

Prior  to  the  Revolution,  the  population  of  Byberry  was 
rather  sparse,  as  there  were  but  ninety  persons  registered 
as  taxable  in  1779.  At  the  same  time  the  real  estate  was 
assessed  at  £180,850,  and  the  rate  of  taxation  fixed  at 


EYBERRY  AND  MOREL  AND.  1 45 

fifty  shillings  per  £ioo.  Money  at  interest  was  taxed 
at  three  pence  per  pound.  In  1783,  the  assessment  gave 
5,618  acres,  which  was  divided  into  fifty-three  farms  and 
lots.  There  were  122  horses  taxed  at  $37.33  per  head, 
114  cows  at  $10  per  head,  and  230  sheep  at  ten  shillings 
each.  Two  tan  yards  were  assessed — one  to  Giles  Knight 
at  $140,  and  the  other  to  Abel  Kelley,  at  $160.^^  John 
Jackson  and  John  Britton  had  each  one  slave,  and  Dr. 
Edwards  two,  which  were  taxed  at  $133.33  P^^  head. 
The  number  of  slaves  appears  to  have  increased  subse- 
quently, for,  in  1786,  eleven  were  assessed,  seven  of  them 
to  Dr.  Edwards,  at  $200  each. 

The  people  of  Byberry,  in  common  with  their  neigh- 
bors, felt  the  good  effects  of  a  peaceful  country,  and  bask- 
ed in  the  sunshine  of  prosperity.  Business  of  all  kinds 
was  much  improved,  and  the  population  increased  so  rap- 
idly, that  in  1814  the  number  of  taxables  was  183;  in 
1830  ij:  was  225 ;  and  in  1863  it  was  264.  The  enumera- 
tion of  the  inhabitants  of  Byberry,  made  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Congress,  resulted  as  follows:  in  1800,  579  per- 
sons; in  1810,  J^j  persons;  in  1820,  876  persons;  in 
1830,  1,0 T 8  persons;  in  1840,  1,055  persons;  in  1850, 
1,130  persons;  and  in  1860,  1,168  persons. 

In  1840,  there  were  three  white  persons  over  twenty- 
one  years  of  age  who  could  neither  read  nor  write,  and 
two  in  the  township  who  were  deaf  and  dumb.  In  i860, 
out  of  the  1,168  inhabitants,  1,101  were  white  and  67 
colored;  114  were  of  foreign  birth,  one  was  blind,  three 
idiotic,  and  six  were  paupers.  There  were  but  214  houses, 
five  of  which  were  unoccupied.     The  live  stock  consisted 

"  See  account  of  Edward  Duffield. 
10 


146  THE  HISTORY  OF 

of  321  horses,  8  mules,  2  oxen,  395  cows,  173  sheep,  and 
359  swine.  Of  the  crops  raised,  there  were  16,063  bush- 
els of  wheat,  707  of  rye,  28,417  of  Indian  corn,  27,089 
of  oats,  15,883  of  potatoes,  34  of  barley,  446  of  buck- 
wheat, 82  of  clover  seed,  and  53  of  timothy  seed.  Of  the 
other  products,  there  were  37,885  pounds  of  butter,  31 
pounds  of  cheese,  30  gallons  of  molasses  from  sorghum, 
105  pounds  of  honey,  5  pounds  of  bees- wax,  and  550 
pounds  of  wool. 

EVENTS  RELATING  TO  THE  WAR  OF  1812. 

In  the  midst  of  the  peace  and  prosperity  which  had 
smiled  on  the  land  since  the  dark  days  of  the  Revolution, 
the  whole  country  was  plunged  into  a  war  with  Great 
Britain.  Altliough  armies  were  necessary  then  as  now, 
yet  few  people  in  either  township  enlisted  in  their  coun- 
try's cause,  preferring  to  remain  at  their  more  agreeable 
vocations  at  home.  People  in  other  sections  were  equally 
impatriotic;  and  the  Government  found  it  necessary  to 
make  a  requisition  upon  the  States  for  troops.  Several 
in  this  section  were  drafted,  and  ordered  to  report  at  head- 
qqarters,  below  Philadelphia.  Most  of  these  declined  go- 
ing, and  were  afterward  court-martialed,  and  fined  sums 
varying  from  twenty  to  one  hundred  dollars  each. 
Friends'  discipline  not  only  disapproved  of  wars,  but  of 
all  connection  with  them;  and  members  who  had  been 
drafted  could  neither  go  nor  pay  fines  imposed  upon  them 
in  lieu  of  service.  Many,  therefore,  suffered  distraints  of 
their  property,  which  were  taken  off  and  sold  to  meet 
the  demand;  the  friends  of  others  interfered,  paid  the 
demands,  and  had  the  property  returned  to  the  owners. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 47 

As  nearly  all  intercourse  with  other  parts  of  the  world 
Avas  interrupted,  many  articles  in  daily  use  became  scarce, 
and  the  prices  high.    Sugar  was  sold  at  thirty-three  cents 
per  pound,  coffee  at  forty  cents,  and  cotton  and  woolen 
^oods  at  almost  fabulous  prices.     In  this  state  of  affairs 
many  expedients  were  suggested,  either  through  motives 
of  economy,  necessity,  or  patriotism.     Rye  coffee  came 
into  general  use,  and  sugar  was  almost  entirely  dispensed 
with.    A  short  time  after  the  commencement  of  the  war 
the  banks  stopped  specie  payment,  and  soon  all  kinds  of 
specie,  from  a  cent  upwards,  passed  out  of  circulation. 
In  order  to  supply  the  want  of  small  change,  the  banks 
issued  notes  of  less  denomination  than  one  dollar;  and 
private  individuals,   in  many  cases,   issued  small  notes, 
payable  in  goods  or  in  bank  notes.    In  one  instance  somje 
schoolboys  set  a  number  of  these  bills  afloat,  and  they 
circulated  as  well  as  any  until  their  character  was  discov- 
ered.    The  Legislature,  at  its  next  session,  passed  an  act 
against  issuing  this  kind  of  money,  and  most  of  the  notes 
were  called  in;  but  considerable  loss  was  sustained  by 
the  holders  of  them.     As  the  whole  country  was  flooded 
with  paper  money,  things     seemed     to  work  well,  and 
prices  of  real  estate  as  well  as  other  things  were. very 
high.    This  continued  for  some  years  after  the  war  end- 
ed; so  that,  in  1816,  we  learn  that  wheat  sold  at  $3  per 
bushel,  corn  $1.25,  and  oats  75  cents.     But  a  reaction 
soon  ensued,  when  depression  followed  depression,  and 
every  article  of  produce  was  so  reduced  in  value  that  em- 
barrassment and  ruin  to  hundreds  was  the  result.     The 
price  of  land  fell  nearly  one-half,  and  wheat  sold  for 
seventy-five  cents,  corn  for  thirty,  and  oats  for  twenty 


148  THE  HISTORY  OF 

cents  per  bushel.  During  the  prosperous  times,  many- 
persons  who  had  saved  a  Httle  money  invested  it  in  prop- 
erty, paying  often  less  than  one-half  of  the  purchase  price, 
and  giving  a  mortgage  for  the  remainder ;  and  others  had 
in  various  ways  contracted  debts,  with  a  fair  prospect 
of  being  able  to  meet  their  engagements.  But  the  re- 
action was  too  great  for  them,  and  they  were  forced  to 
see  the  savings  of  many  years  of  anxiety  and  toil  swept 
away  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  urgent  creditors,  and 
now,  having  passed  the  meridian  of  life,  to  commence 
the  world  anew,  without  a  single  cent  to  call  their  own. 
But  few  persons  in  the  townships  became  so  reduced  as 
this,  yet  all  felt  the  effect  of  the  change  of  times,  and  were 
to  a  greater  or  less  extent  sufferers.  In  order  to  obviate 
these  difficulties,  more  attention  was  paid  to  the  cultiva- 
tion and  improvement  of  their  farms,  unnecessary  ex- 
penses were  curtailed,  and  habits  of  economy  became  the 
order  of  the  day,  so  that,  in  a  few  years,  they  were  once 
more  in  the  old  channels,  moving  along  smoothly  and 
prosperously. 

AGRICULTURE. 

We  have  already  spoken  of  some  of  the  more  important 
improvements  in  agriculture,  previous  to  the  close  of  the 
Revolution,  and  now  we  desire  briefly  to  sketch  the  his- 
tory since  that  period.  Byberry  and  Moreland  are  agri- 
cultural districts,  the  whole  surface  being  divided  into 
farms  of  from  thirty  to  one  hundred  acres  each,  and  the 
population  composed  almost  exclusively  of  farmers,  or 
such  mechanics  as  are  necessary  in  a  farming  community. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  I49 

Such  being  the  case,  a  short  account  of  the  agricultural 
changes  is  deserving  of  a  place  in  these  sketches. 

In  1780  the  Hessian  Hy^^ — that  scourge  of  the  wheat 
crop — first  made  its  appearance  in  the  vicinity.  Previous 
to  that  time  the  crop  had  been  good,  and  a  failure  of  it 
was  seldom  if  ever  known;  but  now  the  ravages  of  this 
destructive  insect  were  very  great,  whole  fields  were  so 
injured  as  not  to  be  worth  harvesting,  and  many  persons 
entertained  apprehensions  that  the  wheat  crop  was  not 
to  be  depended  upon  again,  and  they  accordingly  stored 
up  the  crop  on  hand  for  future  use.  The  rye  crop  entirely 
escaped  from  injury,  and  it  was  at  once  substituted  for 
the  wheat.  It  answered  a  very  good  purpose  for  bread, 
but  the  pies  and  cakes  were  not  so  palatable,  and  the  peo- 
ple began  to  look  anxiously  for  a  remedy  for  the  evil 
which  had  befallen  them.  One  was  soon  found  in  the  ap- 
plication of  manure,  for  when  that  was  judiciously  ap- 
plied an  average  crop  seldom  failed,  and  farmers  began 
to  gather  all  the  weeds,  straw  and  rubbish  that  could  be 
procured,  in  order  to  increase  the  amount  of  that  neces- 
sary article.  Previous  to  that  time,  large  quantities  of 
buckwheat  were  raised,  but  the  straw  was  thought  to 
be  useless,  and  was,  therefore,  generally  burned  in  the 
field.  In  1786  one  farmer  had  thirty-five  acres  of  it,  and 
in  the  spring  following  sold  the  whole  lot  to  Dr.  Edwards 
for  two  dollars,  and  it  was  thought  to  be  well  sold.  Sev- 
eral experiments,  in  the  way  of  farming,  were  tried  about 
this  time,  and  for  the  purpose  of  comparing  notes,  an 

^  This  fly  is  entirely  different  from  the  Russian  fly  or  weavel  which 
made  its  first  appearance  about  ten  years  ago  and  which  is  supposed 
to  have  come  from  the  grain  elevator  at  Port  Richmond. 


150  THE  HISTORY  OF 

agricultural  society  was  started  in  1789,  and  several  of 
the  Byberry  farmers  became  members.  It  is  said  to  have 
done  considerable  good,  and  many  of  the  most  valuable 
changes  which  took  place  at  this  time  were  owing  to  ex- 
periments made  by  the  members  of  this  society.  It  is 
still  in  existence  as  the  Philadelphia  Agricultural  Society. 
Before  the  application  of  manure  became  common,  the 
main  dependence  for  hay  was  upon  meadow  bottoms,  or 
low  grounds,  along  streams.  Water  was  frequently  car- 
ried in  ditches  along  the  sides  of  the  hills,  and  at  proper 
intervals  let  out  to  irrigate  the  soil,  so  that  these  spots 
always  produced  heavy  crops  of  hay.  No  grass-seed  was 
sown,  as  is  now  done ;  but  the  white  clover,  which  is  na- 
tive to  the  soil,  and  which  will  always  grow  when  not 
choked  out  by  other  plants,  sprung  up  in  the  wheat  fields, 
and  furnished  pasture  for  the  next  season.  Meadows 
were  then  considered  very  valuable,  and  were  the  only 
parts  of  the  farm  which  produced  hay  for  winter  use.  In 
1 79 1,  plaster  of  Paris  (sulphate  of  lime)  was  first  intro- 
duced here  as  a  fertilizer. 21  It  was  tried  on  Indian  corn, 
and  proved  advantageous,  but  on  the  meadows  it  was  of 
little  use.  A  little  red  clover  had  previously  been  culti- 
vated, and  upon  this  it  acted  almost  like  a  charm,  so  that 
the  next  step  was  to  procure  clover-seed,  and  the  upland 
fields  were  soon  luxuriant  with  its  growth.  Seed  was 
at  first  very  scarce,  and  was  bought  and  sold  by  the 
pound,  rating  at  about  fifty  cents.  Plaster  was 
sold  at  $1.10  per  bushel;  but  dear  as  were  these  articles 

"  Benjamin  Franklin  introduced  the  use  of  land  plaster  into  France 
and  his  friend,  Edward  Duffield,  was  one  of  the  first  to  use  it  in 
Byberry. 


BYPERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1  5  I 

the  application  was  made,  and  the  harvest  exceeded  all 
expectations.  The  custom  of  mowing  the  upland  fields 
soon  after  this  became  general,  and  furnished  much  bet- 
ter hay  than  had  been  obtained  from  the  meadows.  Tim- 
othy was  soon  introduced,  and,  in  time,  it  and  clover  were 
mixed  together.  By  this  course  of  farming  the  amount 
of  produce  was  greatly  increased,  and  farmers  were 
necessitated  to  erect  hay-houses,  or  enlarge  their  barns  so 
as  to  hold  all  their  crops.  The  meadows  and  low  bot- 
toms soon  ceased  to  be  considered  the  most  valuable  por- 
tion of  the  farm,  and  were  either  turned  into  pasture- 
grounds  or  permitted  to  grow  up  with  rushes  and  other 
worthless  plants.  About  the  same  time  lime  began  to  be 
used,  and  this,  together  with  the  plaster,  the  timothy  and 
the  clover,  and  the  increase  in  the  price  of  all  agricultural 
products,  brought  wealth  into  the  community,  and  made 
them  more  prosperous  than  at  any  former  period.  As  a 
result  of  this  increase  of  wealth,  there  was  an  improve- 
ment in  the  farm  buildings,  and  new  houses  and  barns  of 
an  approved  style  soon  began  to  occupy  the  places  of  the 
old  ones.  Shortly  after  this,  the  cultivation  of  potatoes, 
as  an  article  of  profit,  was  commenced.  Previously,  they 
had  been  cultivated  only  for  home  consumption.  The  first 
varieties  raised  were  the  cut-throats,  Spanish  potatoes  and 
lady-fingers;  these  were  followed  by  the  Thompson  po- 
tatoes, brought  from  England  by  Joseph  Thompson,  in 
1793;  Scotch  grays,  blue-skins,  fox-eyes  and  mercers — 
each  succeeding  one  being  an  improvement  upon  its  pre- 
decessor. This  last  variety  was  introduced  about  1820, 
and  has  been  very  generally  cultivated  ever  since — a 
period  of  more  than  forty  years — and  they  still  retain 


152  THE  HISTORY  OF 

many  of  their  original  good  qualities.  It  is  said  that 
two  hundred  bushels  per  acre  were  considered  an  average 
crop  fifty  or  sixty  years  ago ;  and  that,  when  properly  at- 
tended, they  often  raised  more  than  less  than  that  amount, 
and  as  they  were  never  diseased,  the  crop  was  a  profitable 
one.  About  the  same  time  broom  corn  began  to  be  raised, 
and  brooms  to  be  manufactured  for  market.  Benjamin 
Atkinson  was  the  first  who  made  it  a  regular  business, 
and  he  was  induced  to  do  so  about  1790,  through  the  in- 
fluence of  James  Simpson,  a  Quaker  preacher,  then  re- 
siding in  the  neighborhood.  He  found  it  a  profitable 
business,  and,  about  1805,  he  admitted  Bezaleel  Croas- 
dale  as  a  partner,  and  they  jointly  monopolized  the  trade 
until  1 816.  The  brooms  were  sold  in  Philadelphia,  New 
York,  Baltimore,  Lancaster,  and  Trenton.  The  brooms 
were  made  round,  and  with  a  horn  on  the  neck,  confined 
to  its  place  by  a  wooden  peg,  instead  of  twine  as  now; 
the  handle  was  of  oak,  roughly  shaved  with  a  drawing- 
knife.  During  the  war  of  1812,  the  brooms  brought  $4.20 
per  dozen,  wholesale.  From  1830  to  1840  an  average  of 
sixty  thousand  brooms  were  annually  manufactured  in 
Byberry  alone,  for  the  Philadelphia  market.  In  18 19, 
Bezaleel  Croasdale  made  some  improvements  in  the  man- 
ner of  manufacture,  for  which  he  obtained  a  patent,  and 
carried  on  the  business  successfully  for  several  years. 
Charles  B.  Comly  was  the  first  person  in  Byberry  who 
made  broom  handles  for  sale.  For  many  years  the  an- 
nual sales  amounted  to  about  175,000  handles.  Of  later 
years,  broom  corn  has  not  been  grown  so  extensively,  and 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  153 

the  sales  now  do  not  amount  to  over  75,000  per  annum.^^ 
Oats  were  raised  to  a  very  limited  extent,  and  several 
years  elapsed  before  they  were  considered  a  profitable 
crop.  Buckwheat  was  a  staple  production,  and  large 
quantities  were  raised  by  every  farmer ;  but  as  the  opinion 
of  its  impoverishing  the  soil  gained  ground,  its  culture 
decreased,  and  comparatively  little  has  been  raised  dur- 
ing the  last  twenty  years.  There  was  also  much  atten- 
tion paid  to  the  improvement  of  the  breed  of  horses,  and 
the  subject  was  a  favorite  topic  of  conversation  among 
farmers  and  the  young  men  generally.  The  old-fashion- 
ed breed  was  too  small — scarcely  any  being  more  than 
fourteen  hands  high — and  in  many  other  respects  was 
defective ;  so  that  a  change  was  deemed  needful.  Horses 
with  more  bottom,  bone  and  sinew,  were  wanted ;  and  in 
order  to  secure  animals  of  this  kind,  men  studied  all  the 
important  marks  of  a  good  horse  as  well  as  those  of  a 
poor  one,  and  a  full  knowledge  of  the  diseases,  etc.,  to 
which  the  animal  was  subject,  was  considered  necessary. 
Thomas  Simmons,  taking  advantage  of  this  change  in 
opinion,  spent  a  short  time  in  study,  and  set  himself  up 
as  a  horse  farrier — the  first  in  the  townships — and  soon 
obtained  a  good  practice.  The  result  of  all  this  was  a 
larger  and  better  breed  of  horses,  and  an  improvement 
in  the  quality  of  the  stock  generally. 

While  the  great  changes  which  we  have  just  narrated 
were  going  on,  farmers  had  become  more  deeply  interest- 
ed in  their  business;  and  in  order  to  have  as  much  land 

^  Broom  corn  is  scarcely  grown  at  all  in  Byberry  now.  At  one  time, 
it  was  the  custom  for  nearly  every  farmer  to  grow  fcroom  corn, 
make  brooms  and  sell  them  in  Philadelphia,  along  with  his  regular 
produce.  , 


154  THE  HISTORY  OF 

under  cultivation  as  possible,  swamps  and  low  grounds 
were  reclaimed,  and  timber  cleared  off.  So  much  of  the 
latter  was  sold  that  many  men  were  much  concerned  for 
fear  the  next  generation  would  not  have  sufficient  wood 
for  fencing  and  for  domestic  purposes.  To  economize, 
it  was  proposed  to  plant  the  Virginia  corn  (Crategus 
cordata)  for  hedges;  and  Joseph  Comly,  in  particular, 
took  much  pains  to  obtain  a  supply  of  seed  and  raise  the 
young  plants  for  that  purpose.  Through  his  efforts  many 
were  induced  to  plant  hedges,  and  for  several  years  they 
answered  an  excellent  purpose ;  but  like  every  other  liv- 
ing thing,  their  period  of  life  drew  to  a  close;  and  while 
they  were  in  the  last  stages — which  often  lasted  several 
years — they  were  worse  than  useless,  and  farmers  have 
generally  grubbed  them  up  and  set  post-and-rail  fences 
in  their  places.  In  the  year  1816,  the  Long  Island  hay- 
rake  was  introduced,  and  found  to  be  a  labor-saving  im- 
plement. Some  years  afterward  the  revolving  rake  was 
brought  into  notice  as  a  great  improvement,  and  has  been 
in  general  use  since.  In  1817,  the  crop  of  Indian  corn 
was  much  injured  by  the  grub;  and  as  this  was  believed 
to  be  the  natural  consequence  of  killing  off  so  many  of  the 
insectivorous  birds,  several  persons  here  entered  into  an 
agreement  to  prohibit  gunning  on  their  farms,  which  ar- 
rangement was  enforced  for  many  years,  although  much 
opposition  was  manifested  on  the  part  of  some  of  the  gun- 
ners. About  the  year  1820,  a  mowing  machine  was  intro- 
duced into  Byberry  by  Samuel  Newbold ;  and  soon  after 
this  James  Thornton  purchased  a  similar  machine.  They 
were  drawn  by  four  horses,  but  did  not  work  well,  and 
were  soon  thrown  aside.    James  Thornton  cut  ten  acres 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  155 

of  grass  in  one  day  with  his  machine.  In  1840,  another 
pattern  was  introduced,  much  better  than  the  first,  but 
it  did  not  answer,  and,  Hke  its  predecessor,  was  soon  laid 
aside.  After  this  we  hear  no  more  of  mowing  machines 
until  the  introduction  of  Ketchum's  patent,  in  1850,  by 
Tames  Thornton,  Jr.,  since  which  time  they  have  come 
into  general  use,  and  almost  every  farm  is  now  supplied 
with  one  of  them.^^  In  the  year  1840  was  the  first  ap- 
pearance of  the  potato  disease  here,  and  many  farmers 
that  season  lost  nearly  their  whole  crop.  Since  that  time 
they  have  been  more  or  less  affected  with  the  rot ;  but  as 
many  have  of  late  years  been  planting  them  much  earlier 
than  formerly  was  the  custom,  they  have  not  suffered  so 
much  from  the  disease  as  they  did  at  first.  Thfeshing 
machines  were  introduced  in  1830,  by  Edward  Duffield. 
Previous  to  that  time  all  the  threshing  had  been  done 
by  the  flail,  and  the  sound  of  the  threshers  might  be  heard 
in  the  w^inter  resounding  from  almost  every  barn.  At 
first  the  four  and  five-horse  powers  were  used,  but  these 
have  generally  been  laid  aside,  and  their  places  supplied 
by  the  railroad  powers,  which  combine  many  advantages 
the  others  do  not  possess.  The  farmers  of  this  section 
generally  have  kept  pace  with  their  neighbors  in  intro- 
ducing all  the  modern  improvements  in  their  vocation; 
and  their  farms  at  the  present  time  are  as  well  stacked 
with  all  that  is  necessary  to  their  business,  as  are  those 
in  any  other  section  of  our  country;  and  as  a  class  they 
probably  enjoy  as  much  prosperity  and  happiness  as  usual- 
ly fall  to  the  lot  of  mortals. 

"'At  the  early  introduction  of  the  mowing  machine  there  was 
much  opposition  which  extended  to  attempts  of  wrecking  them 
by  putting  obstructions  into  the  grass. 


156  THE  HISTORY  OF 


ROADS. 


We  have  but  little  account  of  the  roads,  bridges,  etc., 
in  Byberry  and  Moreland,  hence  our  remarks  must  be  lim- 
ited. It  is  quite  probable  that  the  Bristol  turnpike,  as  it 
is  now  called ;  the  road  leading  from  Byberry  Cross-roads 
to  the  Red  Lion ;  what  is  now  the  Byberry  and  Bensalem 
turnpike,  and  the  Bustleton  and  Somerton  turnpike,  are 
the  oldest,  and  were  laid  out  prior  to  the  Revolution. 
Mention  is  made  of  the  Bristol  turnpike  road  as  early  as 
1700.  The  Byberry  and  Bensalem  turnpike  road  was 
formerly  known  as  the  King's  highway,  and  was  the  main 
road  leading  from  Philadelphia  to  Growden's  mansion, 
now  C.  W.  Taylor's,  in  Bensalem.  The  owner  of  the 
mansion  placed  mile-stones  along  this  road,  three  of 
which  are  still  standing  in  Byberry.  Jacob  Meyers  said 
that  when  he  came  to  Byberry  sixty  years  ago,  the  road 
leading  from  Byberry  Meeting-House  to  Townsend's  Mill 
passed  through  the  woods  near  Carver's  house.  The 
present  road  was  laid  out  soon  afterwards. 

Many  years  since  a  turnpike  was  made  from  the  Rocks, 
near  Frankford,  to  Somerton,  a  distance  of  eight  miles; 
but  owing  to  imperfect  construction  it  became  very  rough, 
and  was  shunned  by  travelers;  hence  the  company  was 
soon  dissolved,  and  the  road  left  in  charge  of  the  Super- 
visors of  the  townships.  This  continued  until  1842,  when 
the  present  company  was  incorporated.  They  took  pos- 
session of  the  road  and  put  it  in  good  condition,  at  a  cost 
of  $8,000  per  mile,  since  which  time  it  has  been  much 
traveled. 

The  Byberry  and  Bensalem  turnpike  was  chartered  in 


BYEERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 5/ 

March,  1848,  and  was  open  for  travel  in  1852.    It  is  5 J^ 
miles  long  and  cost  $11,442. 

In  1790,  the  inhabitants  of  Byberry  and  Southampton 
met  to  decide  which  part  of  the  county  line  should  be 
mended  by  each  township,  when  it  was  agreed  that  By- 
berry  should  take  the  upper  and  Southampton  the  lower 
part. 

In  1793,  John  Swift,  Edward  Duffield,  William  Wal- 
ton, and  Isaac  Comly,  met  in  regard  to  mending  the  road 
between  Byberry  and  Moreland,  when  it  was  agreed 
that  Byberry  should  mend  the  lower  and  Moreland  the 
upper  part. 

In  1798,  supervisors  were,  for  the  first  time,  allowed 
a  compensation  for  collecting  the  road-tax. 

The  Byberry  and  Andalusia  turnpike  was  chartered 
in  1857.  It  was  covered  with  gravel  to  the  depth  of  eight 
inches.    It  is  about  two  miles  long,  and  cost  $5,000. 

In  18 1 6,  a  road  was  laid  out  between  John  and  Evan 
Townsend's  land,  extending  from  a  road  leading  to  Mink- 
town  to  the  road  from  Townsend's  Mill  to  Mechanics- 
ville.24 

"  Concerning  the  question  of  roads,  it  may  be  said  that  the  early- 
settlers  were  accustomed  to  travel  in  the  well-beaten  Indian  tracks. 
The  Indians  had  a  path  running  parallel  to  the  river.  The  early 
Dutch  and  Swedes  followed  these  paths  which  were  known  as 
bridle  paths.  This  early  bridle  path  along  the  Delaware  was 
probably  on  a  line  with  the  Bristol  Pike.  In  1677  a  road  was  laid 
out  from  Chester  and  Philadelphia  on  a  general  line  with  the 
Bristol  Pike  to  the  Falls  at  Trenton.  It  was  known  as  the  King's 
Road  or  Path. 

This  road  was  never,  however,  carefully  laid  out  until  after  the 
arrival  of  Penn.  On  November  19,  1686,  the  City  Councils  ordered 
a  road  laid  out  from  Broad  Street  in  Philadelphia  to  the  Falls  of 
Trenton.  Instead,  however,  of  laying  it  out  as  ordered,  it  com- 
menced nearer  the  river  and  followed  the  general  direction  of  Frank- 
ford  Avenue  and  Bristol  Pike  to  the  Falls.    Work  on  the  road  pro 


158  THE  HISTORY  OF 

POST-OFFICES, 

For  a  long  time  after  the  first  settlement  of  the  town- 
ships, the  nearest  post-office  was  at  Philadelphia ;  but  as 
the  villages  of  Frankford,  Bustleton,  and  Holmesburg 
grew  up  into  importance,  post-offices  were  established 
there  for  their  convenience,  and  the  people  of  Byberry 
and  Moreland  resorted  to  them  for  the  little  business 
they  had  through  that  channel.  As  Byberry  became  more 
densely  populated  and  the  circulation  of  newspapers  began 
to  increase,  the  people  felt  the  want  of  a  more  convenient 
post-office,  and,  in  1826,  one  was  established  at  Byberry 
Cross-roads,  with  a  weekly  mail.^^  This  answered  for  a 
short  time:  but,  in  1832,  the  office  was  removed  to  the 
store  near  the  meeting-house,  and  a  daily  mail  arrived 
from  Andalusia.  In  1834,  this  was  changed  to  a  tri-week- 
ly  mail,  and  so  continued  until  within  a  few  years,  since 
which  they  have  had  a  daily  communication  by  mail  with 
Philadelphia.  In  the  year  1858  the  post-office  was  re- 
moved to  Mechanicsville ;  but  as  this  was  very  inconveni- 
ent to  the  citizens,  it  was  soon  removed  to  the  tailor  shop 
near  the  meeting-house,  and  Jackson  Brown  appointed 
postmaster.  Here  it  gave  general  satisfaction,  and  was 
continued  until   1862,  when  it  was  again  taken  to  the 

gressed  slowly,  for  in  the  year  1700  it  was  still  obstructed  by  stumps 
and  logs. 

In  1693  the  road  from  the  Falls  of  Trenton  through  Langhorne 
and  Bustleton  to  Frankford  was  laid  out.  This  road  was  at  one 
time  an  important  road  between  Philadelphia  and  Trenton. 

"  About  this  time,  the  mail  was  robbed  by  Porter,  who  dwelt  for  a 
time  at  Langhorne.  He  murdered  the  driver  but  was  captured, 
tried  and  hanged.  His  skeleton  is  now  in  use  in  the  University 
■of  Pennsylvania.  After  this  murder  a  United  States  marine  was 
placed  on  the  mail  coaches. 


BYEERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 59 

store  near  by,  where  it  still  remains.  The  office  has  at 
different  times  been  under  the  care  of  Oliver  Parry,  Cyrus 
Pierce,  Jackson  Brown,  William  Penrose,  and  Ross  M. 
Knight.^^  It  is  now  under  the  charge  of  the  latter  gentle- 
man. The  mail  route  was  formerly  by  way  of  Bustleton 
and  Somerton,  and  was  for  many  years. carried  by  Silas 
Vanarsdalen.  Since  that  time  the  mail-carriers  for  By- 
iDerry  have  been  Joseph  Fell,  Nathan  Webster,  Ja^ckson 
Brown,  Charles  B.  Comly,  Peter  States,  Isaac  Knight, 
and  Theodore  Kawk.  It  is  now  brought  up  by  the  Phila- 
delphia and  Trenton  Railroad  Company  to  Andalusia,  and 
carried  to  Byberry  by  the  last-named  person.  The  amount 
of  mail-matter  to  this  office  has  been  gradually  increasing 
since  its  first  establishment,  and  for  the  quarter  ending 
June  30,  1863,  was  as  follows:  Letters  received,  1,496; 
sent,  1,095  '  newspapers  received,  4,019 ;  sent,  40.  A  daily 
mail  to  Somerton  was  established  many  years  since,  and 
has  proved  a  great  blessing  to  the  people  in  that  vicin- 
ity. It  reaches  the  city  by  way  of  Bustleton,  and  is  car- 
ried by  George  Birkman.^''^  For  many  years  the  postmas- 
ter was  Benjamin  Comly;  but  it  is  now  under  the  charge 
of  William  Hoot.  The  village  was  formerly  called  Smith- 
field  ;  but  when  the  post-office  was  established  it  was  nam- 
ed Somerton,  in  honor  of  Judge  Sommer,  who  resided 
near  by. 

'^The  Byberry  store  has  since  been  kept  by  Wallace  Dudley, 
Charles  Gilbert,  John  Samms,  George  Fries,  Mrs.  Apple,  William 
Vandergrift,  George  Woodel  and  William  Hoffman. 

"  The  mail  now  reaches  the  village  by  way  of  the  railroad  which 
ivas  constructed  in  the  year  1876. 


l6o  THE  HISTORY  OF 

OVERSEERS  OF  THE  POOR. 

Byberry  and  Moreland  have  always  maintained  their 
own  poor.  Previous  to  1752  this  was  done  entirely  by  the 
members  of  Byberry  Monthly  Meeting,  but  since  that 
time  each  township  has  taken  care  of  all  except  the  poor 
belonging  to  the  Society  of  Friends.  At  no  time  since 
the  above  date  have  the  people  been  entirely  free  from 
persons  depending  upon  them  for  support;  some  for  a 
short  time  only,  while  others  were  for  a  long  term  of 
years.  Among  the  latter  were  a  husband  and  wife,  both 
of  whom  were  maintained  fifteen  years;  Timothy  Hibbs, 
an  idiot,  twenty-six  years ;  one  aged  widow,  thirteen,  and 
another  twenty-five  years ;  one  spinster,  Hannah  Howard, 
thirty-three  3^ears:  Rebecca  Adams,  who  died  in  1818/ 
at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety  years,  for  several  years; 
and  Mary,  familiarly  known  as  "Old  Molly  Jerden,"  near- 
ly sixty  years.  These  were  all  in  Byberry.  In  Moreland, 
there  was  Susan  Quee,*  for  about  fifty  years;  "Black 
Hannah,"  for  several  years,  who  died  about  1857,  aged 
nearly  one  hundred.  The  first  Overseer  of  the  Poor  in 
Byberry  was  John  Worthington,  elected  in  1752,  to  serve 
one  year.  In  1753,  Job  Walton  and  Richard  Walton  were 
chosen  to  perform  the  duties  of  that  thankless  but  neces- 
sary office.  Since  that  time  two  persons  have  annually 
been  elected  in  each  township,  and  a  regular  account 
of  their  expenditures,  etc.,  in  Byberry,  has  been  preserved 
in  the  township  book.  The  accounts  in  Moreland  we  have 
not  been  able  to  obtain.  From  these  books  we  find  that 
from  1 76 1  to  1809  the  average  annual  amount  of  poor-tax 

*  I  believe  still  living. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  l6l 

was  $T43 — the  least  being  in  1776,  when  it  was  only  $10. 
Since  1809  the  largest  amount  spent  in  any  one  year  was 
in  1 85 1,  when  $998.50  were  required.  In  i860,  six  per- 
sons only  were  supported  by  the  townships.  This  account 
does  not  include  the  poor  belonging  to  the  Society  of 
Friends;  for  we  find  the  Meeting  has  paid  $100  per  an- 
num, on  an  average,  for  the  support  of  its  poor  since  1761. 
When  Lower  Dublin  created  their  poor-house  many  per- 
sons wanted  Byberry  and  Moreland  to  join  with  tnem; 
but  the  latter  township  preferred  to  maintain  their  own 
poor  by  boarding  them  in  the  neighborhood.  It  is  the 
duty  of  the  Overseers  to  provide  the  necessaries  of  life  to 
all  who  are  unable  to  procure  them,  and  not  let  them  suf- 
fer ;  and  to  lay  and  collect  an  annual  tax  to  pay  all  debts 
thus  contracted.  It  is  probable  the  poor  are  better  and 
more  comfortably  provided  for  than  where  poor-houses 
have  been  erected  in  which  to  give  them  quarters. 

BYBERRY  LIBRARY. 

.  After  peace  was  declared  between  Great  Britain  and 
the  American  Colonies,  and  wars  and  rumors  of  wars 
had  died  away,  the  people  in  the  vicinity  of  Byberry  began 
to  turn  their  minds  more  and  more  to  educational  mat- 
ters. The  schools  were  much  improved,  and  a  taste  for 
general  reading  created  in  the  community.  Books  of  all 
kinds  were  expensive,  and  few  persons  at  that  time  pos- 
sessed much  of  a  library.  In  order  to  make  up  this  defici- 
ency, and  to  furnish  each  other  with  reading  matter,  it 
was  proposed  by  John  Comly,  Ezra  Townsend,  Thomas 
Townsend,  Benjamin  Walmsley,  Asa  Walmsley,  and 
II 


l62  THE  HISTORY  OF 

James  Walton,  to  establish  a  circulating  library.  After 
considerable  discussion,  and  not  a  little  opposition  on  the 
part  of  some  of  the  women  Friends,  the  constitution  of 
the  Byberry  Library  Company  was  adopted,  12th  mo.,  29, 
1794.  A  clause  in  the  constitution  "prohibited  the  intro- 
duction of  all  atheistical  or  deistical  works,  all  novels, 
plays  or  romances,  and  every  other  book  that  has  an  im- 
moral tendency,  or  that  is  prejudicial  to  the  Christian  re- 
ligion.2* 

For  this  reason  the  Library  now  contains  a  better  se- 
lection of  useful  voulmes  than  is  usually  found  in  such 
places.  The  constitution  was  signed  by  twenty-three  per- 
sons, some  of  whom  resided  in  Moreland  and  Bensalem, 
and  each  paid  in  the  sum  of  $4,  the  most  of  which  was 
used  in  purchasing  books ;  so  that  when  the  Library  was 
opened  it  contained  about  seventy  volumes,  exclusive  of 
several  loaned  by  members.  It  was  first  placed  at  the 
house  of  Ezra  Townsend;  but  in  1798  was  removed  to 
Byberry  School-house,  where  it  remained  until  18 16.  It 
was  then  taken  to  Gilbert's  store,  while  the  Library  Com- 
pany were  fitting  up  a  suitable  room  for  it  in  the  school- 
house,  whither  it  was  removed  in  18 18.  When  the  new 
school-house  was  built,  in  1823,  a  room  was  finished  ex- 
pressly for  the  Library,  and  it  has  remained  there  ever 
since. 

The  books  are  arranged  according  to  their  size,  whether 
quarto,  octavo,  or  duodecimo,  and  members  are  permitted 
to  keep  them  out  from  one  to  eight  weeks,  varying  with 

"  The  Hatborough  Library  originated  in  1755  in  much  the  sameway 
that  the  Byberry  Library  and  the  Philadelphia  Library  started,  it 
being  the  second  oldest  in  the  State. 


EYEERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 63 

the  size  and  contents  of  the  volume.  Members  have  ac- 
cess to  the  Library  at  all  times ;  but  they  can  take  out  only 
two  volumes  at  a  time,  and  these  must  be  returned  before 
others  can  be  had.  The  members  pay  an  annual  tax,  usual- 
ly about  $1  each,  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  Company, 
and  procure  new  books.  Those  owning  shares  in  the 
Library  now  number  about  forty ;  and  the  annual  tax,  to- 
gether with  the  fines  received  for  keeping  books  out  be- 
yond their  time,  amounts  to  over  $50,  so  that  probably 
about  thirty  volumes  are  annually  added  to  the  collection. 
This  library  is  one  of  the  best  to  be  found  outside  of 
the  city,  and  now  contains  over  two  thousand  volumes, 
w^hich  treat  principally  of  religious,  historical,  or  scientific 
subjects,  and  affords  an  excellent  opportunity  for  all  to 
acquire  much  valuable  and  useful  information.  The  price 
of  the  stock  has  been  raised  to  $6  per  share,  and  new  shares 
are  from  time  to  time  created,  to  meet  the  wants  of  the 
people. 

This  library  has  been  of  great  value  to  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  much  of  the  information  diffused  among  the- 
citizens  of  the  place  is  attributable  to  this  source.  Many 
of  the  young  people  avail  themselves  of  this  opportunity 
for  reading;  and  many  of  them,  along  with  the  writer 
of  this,  have  had  occasion  to  feel  thankful  to  those 
liberal-minded  persons  who  originated  and  bequeathed  to 
us  this  invaluable  legacy.^^ 

*The  library  is  still  in  the  upper  room  of  the  school  erected  in 
1823.  It  now  contains  about  3,000  volumes,  many  of  which  are  rare. 
The  library  is  not  utilized  as  once  it  was.  Library  stock  will  now 
sell  for  about  ten  dollars. 


164  THE  HISTORY  OF 


BURIAL-PLACES. 


The  proper  interment  of  the  dead  has  always  been  felt 
to  be  a  solemn  duty  devolving  upon  every  Christian,  and 
places  suitable  for  the  deposit  of  the  bodies  of  those  who 
had  served  out  their  earthly  pilgrimage  early  claimed  the 
attention  of  the  people,  and  lots  were  set  apart  by  our 
forefathers  for  this  purpose.  Among  the  first  of  these 
was  a  lot  of  one  acre,  which  was  bequeathed,  May  30th, 
1786,  to  Byberry  township,  by  John  Hart,  grandson  of 
the  ancient  John  Hart,  as  a  burial-place  for  the  poor  of 
the  vicinity  forever.  This  is  still  the  township  burial- 
ground,  in  which,  at  long  intervals,  some  unfortunate 
mortal,  whose  life  had  probably  been  imbittered  by  the 
strange  vicissitudes  of  fortune  is  laid  in  the  narrow  grave, 
without  so  much  as  a  friend  to  shed  a  sympathizing  tear. 
It  is  located  in  the  lower  end  of  the  township,  near  the 
Red  Lion  Hotel,  and  from  the  number  of  persons  annu- 
ally placed  therein,  will  serve  the  township  as  a  burial- 
place  for  at  least  another  century. 

This  might  indeed  be  made  a  beautiful  resting-place 
for  the  dead,  but  for  many  years  there  has  been  little  care 
taken  of  it,  and  brambles,  weeds,  and  small  cedars  cover 
the  ground,  giving  it  a  forlorn  and  repulsive  appearance, 
strangely  contrasting  with  the  far  more  attractive  spots 
of  the  kind  around  Philadelphia.  The  last  burial  I  re- 
collect at  this  yard  was  that  of  a  friendless  old  man  who 
was  taken  sick  near  Knightsville,  in  Moreland,  and  found 
his  way  to  a  neighboring  barn,  where  he  soon  afterwards 
died.  No  one  knew  him;  and  his  name,  as  well  as  his 
history,  has  remained  unknown  to  us  to  the  present  time. 


BYEERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 65 

A  single  one-horse  market  wagon  composed  the  proces- 
sion, and  two  men  beside  the  driver,  were  all  that  follow- 
ed the  mortal  remains  of  the  deceased  stranger  to  this 
"Potter's  Field,"'  where  it  has  since  reposed  undisturbed 
by  the  bickering  world  around  it.  As  I  surveyed  this 
procession  I  thought  how  sad  is  the  life  of  the  pauper, 
for  he  is  grudgingly  cared  for  while  living,  and  when 
about  to  be  buried, 

"They  rattle  his  bones  over  the  stones, 
Because  he's  a  pauper  whom  nobody  owns." 

The  graveyard  for  colored  persons,  previously  men- 
tioned as  being  situated  in  the  eastern  part  of  BVberry, 
is  still  kept  for  that  purpose.  Some  years  since  a  por- 
tion of  this  yard  was  plowed  up,  and  most  of  the  "little 
mounds"  were  levelled  with  the  earth  around,  so  that  the 
exact  spot  where  many  of  this  race  were  buried  can  no 
longer  be  seen.  What  a  pity  that  man  should  ever  be 
willing  to  disturb  the  resting-places  of  the  dead  in  order 
to  add  to  his  coffers!  Of  late  years  more  care  has  been 
taken  of  this  place,  and  it  is  now  kept  in  good  order  by 
Byberry  Meeting.  ^^ 

There  was,  also,  a  burying-place  for  slaves  on  Wil- 
liam Tillyer's  farm,  in  Moreland,  which  was  continued 
until  within  the  last  twenty  years.  The  lane  leading  to 
the  dwelling-house  then  went  in  opposite  to  the  school- 
house,  and  made  a  sharp  turn  about  two  hundred  yards 

^"This  graveyard  is  somewhat  neglected,  it  being  covered  with 
briars  and  shrubbery. 

"  This  graveyard  was  converted  into  farm  land  about  twenty-five 
years  ago,  all  the  mounds  being  levelled  with  the  ground. 


1 66  THE  HISTORY  OF 

from  the  road  to  get  to  the  house. ^^  At  this  bend  the 
graveyard  was  located.  It  was  a  small  triangular  lot,  and 
had  been  used  as  a  burial-place  for  many  years.  Jacob 
Saurman  informs  me  that  it  had  a  Swede  fence  around 
it  when  first  recollected  by  him,  but  that  in  later  times  it 
was  left  open,  and  as  it  was  overgrown  with  grass,  weeds, 
and  briers,  the  cattle  of  the  farm  were  permitted  to  roam 
over  it  at  pleasure.  He  remembers  that  two  colored  per- 
sons were  buried  there,  one  of  them  while  he  was  Over- 
seer of  the  Poor  in  Moreland.  About  a  dozen  graves  were 
then  visible,  and  the  place  remained  in  this  condition  until 
the  death  of  William  Tillyer,  when  the  route  of  the  old 
lane  was  changed,  and  the  "old  graveyard'^  was  destroy- 
ed, so  that  not  a  vestige  of  it  now  remains  to  mark  the 
last  resting-place  of  the  ancient  dead.  Connected  with 
its  history  is  the  following:  On  one  occasion  a  black 
dog  in  the  neighborhood  died,  and  the  children  attending 
Tillyer's  school,  on  account  of  the  color  of  the  animal, 
obtained  the  body  and  made  preparation  for  its  burial 
in  that  yard.  Twelve  o'clock  (noon)  was  the  appointed 
hour;  and  punctually  at  that  time  the  pupils,  young  and 
old,  met,  and  forming  themselves  into  a  procession,  sol- 
emnly followed  the  remains,  borne  by  two  pall-bearers 
and  accompanied  by  a  chaplain,  to  their  "final  resting- 
place,"  where  they  were  decently  interred  and  a  eulogy 
pronounced  on  the  good  qualities  of  faithful  old  Tray, 
after  which  they  returned  to  their  usual  pastimes  at  the 
school. 

"An  old  lady  of  the  Lukens  family  informs  me  that  when  the 
field  was  first  plowed,  the  horses'  feet  sank  into  some  of  the  graves. 
A  slight  depression  opposite  the  school  marks  the  place  where 
the  old  road  entered. 


f  BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  167 

The  ''old  graveyard"  belonging  to  Byberry  Meeting, 
and  of  which  we  have  frequently  made  mention  in  this 
history,  contains  one  acre  of  ground,  and  is  situated  in 
front  of  the  meeting-house,  about  fifty  yards  distant.  It 
is  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall  about  four  feet  high,  and 
has  two  entrances  on  the  eastern  side.  It  has  been  full 
for  many  years,  and  the  last  of  those  buried  there  were 
Margery  Knight,  ist  mo.  2y,  1841,  aged  eighty-three 
years,  and  Elizabeth  Townsend,  7th  mo.  7,  1841,  aged 
seventy-five  years.  Among  those  first  interred  were  two 
Indian  squaws,  in  1692,  and  whose  graves  are  under  the 
large  cedar  tree*  near  the  centre  of  the  yard,  where  they 
have  slept  for  nearly  two  centuries. 

A  graveyard  should  always  be  the  most  inviting  and 
lovely  spot  on  earth,  for  as  we  all  love  the  beautiful  while 
living,  it  is  a  pleasing  thought  that  when  our  journey 
through  life  is  over,  we  shall  be  laid  amid  the  pleasant 
scenes  we  love  so  well.  It  is  said  of  Alexander  Wilson, 
that  his  last  wish  was  to  be  "laid  beneath  a  shady  tree 
where  the  songsters  that  charmed  him  while  living  might 
come  and  sing  around  his  tomb !"  And  poor  John  Fitch, 
the  great  American  mechanic  and  inventor  of  the  steam- 
boat, prayed  that  he  might  be  buried  on  the  banks  of  the 
Ohio  River,  so  that  he  would  be  near  the  many  steamboats 
which  his  hopeful  spirit  led  him  to  believe  would  one  day 
glide  up  and  down  that  stream !  A  cemetery  should,  there- 
fore, be  the  type  of  our  thoughts  and  our  religion,  and  in 
this  respect  the  old  graveyard,  with  its  quiet  air  and  its  ab- 

.  *  This  tree  was  planted  by  Joseph  Gilbert  at  the  head  of  his  wife's 
grave,  about  1750.  Isaac  Comly,  who  died  in  1823,  aged  fourscore 
years,  recollected  seeing  him  come  there  to  water  it.  Isaac  at  that 
time  was  a  small  boy  going  to  school. 


1 68  THE  HISTORY  OF 

sence  of  gorgeous  tombs  and  other  memorials  of  the  dead, 
is  highly  characteristic  of  the  people  who  now  slumber 
within  its  walls.  In  ancient  times  they  rarely  marked  the 
spots  where  their  families  were  buried,  but  within  a 
few  years  many  have  been  careful  to  have  headstones 
placed  at  the  graves  of  their  families  and  friends,  and  in 
this  respect  the  new  graveyard  differs  from  the  old  one. 
The  absence  of  these  little  memorials  in  the  latter  makes 
it  far  less  interesting  to  the  present  generation  who  may 
wish  to  spend  an  hour 

"Where  the  rude  forefathers  of  our  township  sleep." 
Very  few  stones,  indeed,  are  found  in  the  yard,  and 
only  about  fifteen  of  them  have  dates  to  tell  us  when  those 
who  lie  beneath  paid  the  debt  of  nature.  Two  of  these 
have  the  names  in  full,  while  all  the  rest  have  the  initials 
only.  But  one  marble  stone  is  in  the  yard,  and  that  is  less 
than  one  foot  high.  After  some  difficulty  in  deciphering 
the  initials  and  figures  on  the  stones — for  they  were  cov- 
ered with  moss  and  lichens — and  in  making  reference  to 
some  notes,  we  learned  that  the  following  persons  had 
been  interred  there  previous  to  the  beginning  of  the  pres- 
ent century :  Jonathan  Knight,  son  of  the  first  Giles  and 
his  wife  Jane,  in  1745;  Thomas  Knight,  brother  to  Jona- 
than, 1774;  Joseph  Knight,  another  brother,  1762,  aged 
eighty-two  years,  and  his  wife  Abigail,  1764,  at  same 
age;  Giles  Knight,  son  of  Joseph,  1799,  and  his  wife 
Elizabeth,  1766;  and  Samuel  Scott,  1761. 

But  little  care  is  taken  of  this  yard,  and  tall  briers  and 
rank  grass  are  permitted  to  grow  and  cover  the  whole 
surface  so  as  nearly  to  obliterate  the  little  mounds  and 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 69 

hollows  beneath.  Most  of  the  graves  have  sunk  so  that 
it  is  difficult  to  tell  where  they  are,  and  the  wild  Indian 
or  wood-grass  has  become  so  firmly  rooted  that  not  a 
single  wild  flower  can  unfold  its  beautiful  petals  there. 
In  one  corner  of  the  yard  a  family  of  elders  have  taken 
quiet  possession,  to  the  exclusion  of  everything  else.  Scat- 
tered here  and  there  over  the  whole  surface  are  a  few 
small  cedars,  and  in  the  centre  stands  a  large  tree  of  the 
same  species,  whose  trunk  has  been  scarred  by  the  thun- 
derbolts of  heaven,  and  through  whose  top  the  wintry 
winds  moan  sadly: 

"For  it  is  ever  sad  when  others'  grief  is  fled, 

And  still  remains  the  constant  mourner  of  the  dead." 

No  walks  have  ever  been  laid  out  in  this  yard,  and 
the  visitor  to  this  full-tenanted  resting-place  of  the  long- 
since  dead  must  make  his  way  as  best  he  can  among  the 
little  mounds.  This  yard  contains  nearly  all  of  our 
early  ancestors,  and  it  has  been  estimated  that  not  less 
than  four  thousand  sleep  beneath  its  sod.  When  it  was 
nearly  filled,  another  lot  of  about  one  acre,  a  little  to 
the  south  of  the  meeting-house,  was  purchased  from  the 
property  now  owned  by  Robert  Purvis. ^^  The  first  per- 
sons buried  there  were  in  February,  1832,  scarcely  one- 
third  of  a  century  ago,  yet  it  is  now  more  than  half  filled, 
and  contains  not  less  than  two  thousand  graves.  Margery 
Walmsley  was  the  first  one  buried  there,  and  she  was 
followed  in  a  few  days  by  Joseph  Carver.  It  was  for 
several  years  the  only  burial-place  in  either  township, 
and  was  used  by  nearly  the  whole  neighborhood,  whether 
Friends  or  not.     It  is  beautifully  situated,  and  forms  an 

'^This  lot  is  now  owned  by  John  Dilworth. 


170  THE  HISTORY  OF 

appropriate    resting-place     for     departed     friends;    and 
around  it  are  a  number  of  trees, 

"Which  make  a  lone  and  silent  shade, 

Where  none  but  reverent  footsteps  tread; 

Where  many  friends  are  calmly  laid 
To  sleep  the  slumbers  of  the  dead. 

"Oh!  sadly  sighs  the  evening  breeze, 

As  it  sweeps  o'er  the  lonely  place, 
And  sadly  droop  the  murm'ring  trees 

As  tho'  they  mourned  the  slumb'ring  race." 

The  sextons  at  Byberry  graveyard  have  been  Benjamin 
Atkinson,  1793  to  1796;  T.  Simmons,  1796  to  1797; 
Griffith  Street,  1797  to  18 19,  then  removed  to  Ohio; 
Watson  Atkinson,  for  about  one  year ;  James  Jenks,  from 
1820  to  1850;  and  WilHam  Forrest  since  that  time. 

After  the  Methodists  became  more  numerous  and  built 
their  church  in  Somerton,  the  question  of  having  a 
churchyard  attached  occupied  the  attention  of  the  people ; 
but  after  some  years  spent  in  considering  the  matter,  it 
was  finally  agreed  to  form  an  association,  and  to  purchase 
ten  acres  of  land  near  the  village  for  a  cemetery.  A  very 
appropriate  spot  was  selected  to  the  east  of  the  village, 
and  the  grounds  were  neatly  graded,  the  walks  laid  out, 
and  it  fitted  up  for  that  purpose.  Many  of  those  in  the 
vicinity  have  purchased  lots  there,  and  a  large  number 
have  already  been  buried  in  the  place.  The  ground  is 
called  the  William  Penn  Cemetery,  and  was  opened  in 
1855.  The  first  interment  there  was  Thomas  Dyer's 
child  1 1  mo.,  7,  of  that  year,  since  which  time  it  has  been 
growing  more  and  more  in  favor  with  the  people.     It  is 


SOMERTON  HILLS  CEMETERY.  CRYPT. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  I/t 

situated  just  out  of  the  village,  and  the  serenity  and  quiet 
beauty  of  the  spot 

"Affords  a  calm  for  those  who  weep, 

A  rest  to  weary  pilgrims  given, 
Where  they  may  softly  lie  and  sweetly  sleep 

Beneath  the  vault  of  Heaven." 


PHILOSOPHICAiL  SOCIETY. 

The  minds  of  many  of  the  Byberry  people  seem  to  have 
taken  quite  a  literary  and  scientific  turn  in  the  early  part 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  They  had  been  educated  by 
such  men  as  Watson  Atkinson  and  John  Comly,  who  had 
taken  great  pains  to  impress  their  minds  with  a  proper 
estimate  of  the  value  of  scientific  and  literary  knowledge 
to  all  persons,  whatever  their  walk  in  life  might  be.  They 
comprehended  the  broad  bearing  of  the  sciences  upon  their 
social  callings,  and  had  made  good  use  of  the  valuable 
but  small  library  just  started  in  their  midst,  during  the 
long  winter  evenings,  when,  released  from  their  daily^ 
toils,  they  gathered  round  the  social  board;  but  this  did 
not  satisfy  them,  and  some  of  the  more  enthusiastic  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  forming  a  society  having  for  its  object 
the  diffusion  of  scientific  knowledge.  While  this  matter 
was  being  discussed,  Joshua  Hoopes,  of  West  Chester,, 
through  the  invitation  of  some  persons  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, proposed  giving  a  course  of  twelve  lectures  on 
Astronomy.  A  class  of  thirty  members  were  soon  ob- 
tained at  two  dollars  each,  and  the  lectures  were  delivered 
in  Byberry  School-house.  At  the  close  of  these  lectures 
Dr.  Isaac  Comly  proposed  ''that  an  association  be  formed 
for  the  purpose  of  delivering  lectures  on  scientific  sub- 


172  THE  HISTORY  OF 

jects."  After  some  further  conference  on  the  matter,  a 
constitution  was  adopted  Tenth  month  26,  1829,  the  pre- 
amble of  which  states  that  the  "Society  is  for  the  acquisi- 
tion and  promotion  of  scientific  knowledge,"  and  is  to  be 
designated  "The  Byberry  Philosophical  Society."  The 
meetings  were  held  weekly  during  the  winter  season, 
when  some  one  of  the  members  usually  delivered  a  lec- 
ture to  the  Society.  The  first  course  was  upon  Natural 
Philosophy,  and  it  appears  to  have  been  very  popular,  for 
the  meetings  were  regularly  attended  by  many  who  were 
not  members.  These  proceedings  continued  until  Twelfth 
month,  1832,  when  the  constitution  was  so  altered  that 
the  Society  could  form  a  cabinet  of  natural  curiosities, 
and  the  work  of  collection  commenced  at  once.  The  cab- 
inet was  at  first  placed  in  a  room  belonging  to  Isaac 
Comly,  where  it  remained  until  1834.  It  was  then  re- 
moved to  James  Thornton's  house,  and  afterwards  to  a 
school-house  in  the  neighborhood,  where  it  remained 
until  1840,  when  the  Society  erected  a  convenient  building 
for  it  near  the  Meeting-house,  and  removed  it  thereto. 
Lectures  have  at  different  times  been  delivered  in  the 
Society's  room,  and  when  these  were  not  going  on,  con- 
versational meetings  were  frequently  held  by  the  mem- 
bers. From  1854  to  i860,  popular  lectures  were  deliv- 
ered at  "Byberry  Hall,"  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Society,  and  were  well  attended  by  members  and  others. 
Considerable  interest  was  manifested  when  the  cabinet 
was  first  started,  and  everything  of  interest  that  could  be 
found  was  collected  and  neatly  labelled,  then  placed  in  the 
collection.  Great  pains  were  taken  to  procure  and  stuff 
all  the  birds  found  in  the  vicinity;  many  curiosities  were 


BYEERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 73 

also  obtained  from  various  sources;  and  the  science  of 
mineralogy,  in  particular,  received  the  close  attention  of 
many  of  the  members,  so  that  in  a  short  time  the  collec- 
tion became  quite  valuable,  and  annual  contributions  were 
rendering  it  still  more  so.  But  as  the  originators  of  it 
either  left  the  neighborhood  or  were  removed  by  death, 
a  lukewarmness  sprung  up,  and  as  the  younger  members 
care  but  little  about  the  matter,  nothing  has  been  added 
to  the  museum  for  several  years.  The  specimens  have 
been  left  uncared  for  until  tnany  of  them  are  entirely 
spoiled ;  and  unless  some  of  the  young  members  give  it  a 
little  attention,  the  whole  collection  will  soon  be  worth- 
less. The  specimens  number  about  two  thousand,  and 
they  should  be  the  pride  of  every  one  who  is  in  the  least 
interested  in  the  works  of  nature.  ^^ 

ADELPHIAN  SOCIETY. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1799,  a  number  of  the  younger 
portion  of  the  community  met  and  formed  a  literary 
society,  to  be  called  "The  Adelphian  Society,"  the  object 
of  which  was  the  "promotion  of  useful  knowledge  among 
the  members."  Orations  were  frequently  delivered  by  the 
members,  and  discussions  upon  various  subjects  often 
engaged  the  attention  of  the  association.  Much  interest 
was  manifested  in  it,  particularly  by  the  young,  and  many 
of  the  written  essays  read  at  these  meetings  have  since 
been  published,  and  reflect  no  discredit  on  their  authors. 

"This  collection  is  now  kept  in  the  library  room  in  the  school 
ing.  Although  a  valuable  collection,  its  value  is  much  impaired 
through  lack  of  care.  Of  late  years  but  few  specimens  have  been 
added  to  the  collection. 


174  THE  HISTORY  OF 

After  a  time  the  interest  at  first  manifested  began  to  wane, 
and  at  the  end  of  two  years  it  was  discontinued,  yet  it  was 
undoubtedly  productive  of  much  good  to  those  who  took 
a  part  in  its  proceedings. 

DISTINGUISHED  CITIZENS. 

Although  Byberry  and  Moreland  have  but  a  Hmited 
territorial  area,  yet  they  have  become  somewhat  renowned 
in  history  for  having  been  the  birth-place  and  residence 
of  some  of  our  most  distinguished  men.  In  early  times, 
Benjamin  Gilbert,  a  polemic  writer  of  considerable  note, 
resided  here.  Since  then  William  Cooper,  afterwards  a 
member  of  Congress,  and  father  of  the  distinguished  nov- 
elist, J.  Fennimore  Cooper ;  Dr.  Enoch  Edwards,  an  offi- 
cer in  the  army  of  the  Revolution,  and  subsequently  a 
Judge  in  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  for  the  City  and 
County  of  Philadelphia ;  and  Dr.  Walmsley,  a  prominent 
•medical  and  scientific  man — ^have  all  dwelt  within  the 
limits  of  the  township.  The  gallant  Decatur,  and  his 
father,  Captain  Decatur,  with  his  family,  were  residents 
for  several  years  previous  to  1798,  when  President  Adams 
called  them  into  the  service  of  our  country.  Byberry  can 
also  boast  of  having  given  birth  to  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush 
and  his  brother,  the  Hon.  Judge  Rush,  both  of  whom  are 
too  well  known  to  need  any  encomium  here.  The  house 
in  which  they  were  born  is  still  standing  on  the  farm  now 
owned  by  Reuben  Parry.  They  were  both  much  attached 
to  their  place  of  nativity,  and  frequently  visited  it  during 
the  latter  part  of  their  lives.  Besides  these  was*  Edward 
Duffield,  of  Moreland,  who  was  noted  for  the  high  posi- 
tion he  held  among  scientific  men. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORE^AND.  1 75 

AUTHORS. 

Several  of  the  people  of  this  district  have  at  different 
times  given  their  thoughts  to  the  world  in  the  form  of 
lectures,  essays,  addresses,  poetical  effusions,  and  elabo- 
rate works  upon  various  subjects.  It  is  not  our  intention 
to  narrate  all  these;  but  we  shall  mention  only  a  few  of 
the  most  prominent  ones.  Some  of  these  works  still  sur- 
vive their  authors,  while  others  have  passed  into  oblivion, 
along  with  the  ephemeral  literature  of  their  day.  Of  the 
merits  of  these  productions  we  are  unable  to  speak,  having 
met  with  but  few  of  them;  but  many  are  highly  spoken 
of  by  contemporary  writers,  and  others  have  stood  the 
test  of  time,  and  are  still  acknowledged  as  among  the  best 
works  on  the  subjects  of  which  they  treat. 

The  first  of  these,  of  which  we  have  any  account,  was 
John  Hart,  who,  in  conjunction  with  Thomas  Budd,  pub- 
lished an  "Essay  on  the  Subject  of  Oaths,"  in  1692. 

Benjamin  Gilbert  published  "Truth  Defended,"  1748; 
*'Discourses  on  Perfection,"  1769;  and  "Further  Dis- 
courses on  Sin,  Election,  Reprobation  and  Baptism," 
1770. 

Dr.  Edwards  published  "A  Charge  to  the  Grand  Jury," 
and  "An  Essay  on  Agriculture,"  in  the  "American 
Museum,"  1788. 

Edward  Duffield,  "Some  Observations  on  the  Applica- 
tion of  Plaster  of  Paris,"  1797. 

James  Thornton,  preacher,  left  a  memorandum  of  his 
Life  and  Travels,  which  was  published  in  "Friends'  Mis- 
cellany." 

Peter  Yarnall,  M.  D.,  left  a  "Journal  of  his  Life  and 


176  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Ministry,"  portions  of  which  have  been  published  in 
"Friends'  Miscellany." 

John  Townsend  published  an  "Essay  on  Education," 
and  "Some  Observations  on  the  Ministry,"  in  the  same 
work. 

Grace  Townsend  wrote  several  poetical  essays  which 
evinced  considerable  talent,  but  were  not  published. 

Dr.  Walmsley  published  "An  Essay  on  the  Absorption 
of  Medicine,"  1803,  and,  subsequently,  several  other 
medical  papers  in  "Barton's  Journal." 

William  M.  Walmsley,  "An  Account  of  the  Wheat 
Moth,"  in  "Barton's  Journal,"  1804. 

William  Walton,  the  original  narrative  of  "The  Cap- 
tivity and  Sufferings  of  the  Gilbert  Family." 

Joshua  Gilbert,  several  excellent  essays,  signed  a 
"County  Friend,"  in  the  "Advocate  of  Truth,"  about 
1827. 

Warder  Cresson,  "An  Address  to  the  Select  Members 
of  Abington  Quarterly  Meeting,"  1827;  "Babylon  the 
Great  is  Falling,"  1830;  "Jerusalem,  the  Centre  and  Joy 
of  the  Whole  Earth,"  1844. 

John  Comly,  one  of  the  most  gifted  of  Byberry  authors, 
published,  among  other  things,  English  Grammar,  1803; 
Spelling  Book,  1806;  Primer,  1807;  Sermons,  1827; 
Epistle  to  Friends,  1832;  Spelling  and  Reading  Book, 
1842;  Book  of  Useful  Knowledge,  1844;  and,  with  his 
brother  Isaac,  edited  and  published  "Friends'  Miscel- 
lany," in  monthly  numbers,  twelve  volumes,  from  1831 
to  1839. 

Isaac  Comly  published  several  "Sketches  of  Byberry;" 
also,  "Easy  Lessons  for  Juvenile  Readers,"  1807;  "Phila- 


EYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 7/ 

delphia  Primer,"  1808;  and  "A  New  Assistant,"  1809.^^ 

DISEASES. 

The  early  part  of  the  year  1793  was  somewhat  remark- 
able on  account  of  the  prevalence  of  typhus  fever  in  both 
townships.  It  was  a  dangerous  form  of  the  disease,  and 
many  who  were  attacked  died.  In  the  latter  part  of  the 
same  summer  the  yellow  fever  prevailed  in  Philadelphia, 
and  many  persons  removed  to  the  country  to  remain  until 
the  danger  had  passed.  There  was  scarcely  a  house  in 
either  township  which  had  not  some  boarders  from  the 
city.^^  One  of  these  died  of  the  fever  at  John  Gilbert's, 
and  was  buried  on  his  farm  without  even  so  much  as  a 
coffin.  The  neighborhood  was  a  second  time  visited  by 
the  typhus  fever,  in  the  summer  of  181 3,  and  many  per- 
sons were  afflicted  with  the  disease;  but  from  the  skilful 
treatment  pursued  by  Dr.  Worthington,  of  Moreland, 
then  the  principal  physician,  very  few  died.  A  danger- 
ous form  of  dysentery  prevailed  in  1819  and  1820,  and 

"Dr.  Martindale,  the  author  of  this  work,  wrote  the  following: 
A  History  of  the  United  States ;  A  Series  of  Spelling  Books ;  First 
Lessons  in  Natural  Philosophy  and  Anatomy ;  Physiology  and  Hygi- 
ene, and  also  in  manuscript  a  Catalogue  of  the  Birds,  Animals  and 
Plants  of  the  Locality. 

"In  1793,  and  again  in  1798,  yellow  fever  made  ravages  in  Phila- 
delphia. In  the  All  Saints'  Church  yard  are  buried  in  one  grave 
Elizabeth  Westcott  and  Lucy  Breck,  two  friends  who  are  supposed 
to  have  died  of  the  disease  in  1798. 

John  Carver  mentions  the  story  of  a  Byberry  man  who  visited 
Philadelphia  during  this  epidemic  and  became  intoxicated.  He 
was,  while  lying  in  the  streets,  picked  up  for  dead  by  a  passing 
funeral  cart  and  thrown  into  the  pit  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city. 
On  becoming  sober  again,  he  scrambled  out  from  the  heap  of  dead 
bodies  and  returned  to  Byberry.  Strange  to  say,  he  never  con- 
tracted the  disease.  John  Carver,  in  telling  the  story,  would  always 
refuse  to  give  the  name,  saying  that  that  had  better  be  forgotten. 
12 


178  THE  HISTORY  OF 

several  persons  died,  one  of  whom,  Ezra  Townsend,  was 
a  valuable  citizen,  and  his  loss  was  much  felt  in  the  com- 
munity. In  1849,  t^^  cholera  broke  out  and  caused  great 
consternation  among  the  people.  Many  were  attacked  by 
it,  and  a  few  died.  Rachel,  daughter  of  James  Knight, 
was  attacked  while  in  Byberry  Meeting,  July  15th,  and 
could  not  be  removed  to  her  home.  She  died  there,  July 
20th,  and  was  interred  in  the  new  graveyard.  During 
that  summer  nine  cases  of  cholera  occurred  in  Somerton, 
four  of  which  proved  fatal. 

Intermittent  and  bilious  fevers  were  common  many 
years  ago,  but  since  the  forests  have  been  cleared  off,  the 
lowlands  drained,  and  the  soil  generally  cultivated,  these 
diseases  have  nearly  disappeared.  The  townships,  how- 
ever, have  ahvays  been  remarkably  healthy,  and  the  inhab- 
itants have  enjoyed  as  long  and  as  happy  lives  as  the 
people  in  any  other  section  of  the  country. 

MILLS. 

At  the  present  time  there  are  six  mills  within  the  limits 
of  Byberry  township,  two  of  which  have  saw-mills 
attached.  Five  of  these  mills  are  located  on  the  Poques- 
sing  Creek,  and  one  near  the  centre  of  the  township,  on 
the  Byberry  Creek.  This  latter  mill  is  now  known  as 
Comly's  Mill,  and  is  owned  by  Charles  B.  Comly,  one  of 
the  most  enterprising  citizens  of  Byberry.^^  The  first 
mill  at  this  place  was  built  by  Benjamin  Gilbert,  in  1759. 
It  was  a  small  structure,  and  probably  remained  standing 
until  it  was  purchased  by  Robert  Phillips,  in  1837.    Pre- 

"  This  mill  is  now  owned  by  Thomas  Husband,  Jr. 


EYBERRY  AND  MOREL  AND.  1/9 

vious  to  this  time  it  had  been  in  the  possession  of  Ephraim 
Howell  and  Amos  Killborn.  In  1838,  Robert  Phillips 
erected  the  present  building.  It  is  a  convenient  mill,  and 
"has  an  eighteen-foot  overshot  wheel,  with  four  run  of 
stones.  In  the  year  1846  this  property  was  again  sold, 
and  John  Comly,  Sr.,  became  its  owner.  In  1850,  at  his 
death,  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  his  son,  Charles  B. 
Comly.  The  stream  upon  which  it  is  located  is  rather 
small,  and  during  the  dry  weather  of  summer  does  not 
furnish  sufficient  power  to  run  the  mill.  In  order  to  obvi- 
ate this  difficulty,  in  the  summer  of  1855  ^"  addition  was 
built  to  the  mill,  and  a  steam  engine  of  twenty  horse- 
power placed  therein,  and  so  arranged  as  to  be  used  when 
there  was  a  scarcity  of  water.  Since  that  time  the  busi- 
ness at  this  mill  has  been  much  increased,  and  now  does 
more  work  than  any  other  mill  in  the  township.  In  1857 
many  of  the  farmers  had  begun  to  raise  sugar-cane  (sor- 
ghum accharatum),  and  in  order  to  accommodate  them 
wooden  rollers  for  crushing  the  cane  were  attached  to  this 
Tnill.  After  the  cane  was  crushed  the  owners  took  the 
juice  home,  and  boiled  it  down  in  their  kitchens ;  but  the 
result  was  so  unfavorable  that  they  became  discouraged, 
and  no  more  was  raised  for  several  years.  In  the  spring 
of  1863,  John  Comly,  who  now  has  charge  of  the  mill, 
became  interested  in  this  matter,  and  distributed  sugar- 
cane seed  to  the  farmers  in  the  vicinity,  at  the  same  time 
offering  to  put  up  suitable  machinery  for  manufacturing 
the  syrup,  etc.  This  machiner}^  consisted  of  a  heavy  iron 
crusher,  with  three  rollers,  and  a  furnace  over  which  is  a 
copper  evaporator  twelve  feet  long  and  four  feet  wide. 
In  the  autumn  of  that  year  these  works  were  put  in  opera- 


l8o  THE  HISTORY  OF 

tion,  and  eight  hundred  gallons  of  syrup  and  fifty  pounds 
of  crystallized  sugar  were  made  that  season.  This  was 
the  first  sugar  made  from  sugar-cane  in  either  township. 
In  1864  the  amount  of  syrup  made  at  this  place  was  5500 
gallons.  The  steam  engine  at  this  place  is  the  only  one  m 
use  in  the  townships,  and  judging  from  appearances  it 
has  been  a  profitable  investment. 

The  mill  in  the  northern  part  of  Byberry,  on  the  Po- 
quessing  Creek,  known  as  Carter's  Mill,  was  built  by 
James  Carter,  Esq.,  in  1838.  It  is  run  entirely  by  the 
stream  on  which  it  is  located,  and  is  now  occupied  by 
Elmer  Carter.^^  A  saw-mill  is  attached  to  it ;  and  at  both 
it  and  the  flour-mill  considerable  business  is  done.  In 
1864,  machinery  for  crushing  sugar-cane  and  making 
syrup  was  obtained,  and  is  now  in  successful  operation. 

The  next  mill  below  this,  on  the  same  stream,  is  known 
as  Townsend's  Mill.  From  information  obtained  through 
Mahlon  Carver,  a  descendant  of  the  first  John  Carver, 
and  much  interested  in  the  ancient  affairs  of  the  township, 
the  first  mill  at  this  place  was  built  by  Lawrence  Growden. 
It  was  on  the  Eensalem  side  of  the  Poquessing,  about 
three  hundred  yards  above  the  site  of  the  present  one.  In 
order  to  obtain  water-power  for  this  mill,  a  small  dam 
was  constructed  on  the  Poquessing,  opposite  to  the  farm 
now  occupied  by  Edwin  Tomlinson.  From  this  dam  the 
water  passed  through  a  race  over  a  mile  in  length  before 
it  reached  the  mill.  No  traces  of  either  the  dam  or  the 
old  race  now  remain.  The  present  mill  on  the  Byberry 
side  is  fed  from  a  dam  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  yards 

"  This  mill  is  still  owned  by  Elmer  Carter,  who  is  engaged  in  mak- 
ing hay  rakes. 


EYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  I><I 

Up  the  stream.  This  was  for  many  years  in  the  possession 
of  the  Townsend  family,  and  was  sold  about  1845.  ^^  ^^^ 
since  been  owned  by  Edwin  Knight,  Jesse  James  and 
Levis  Levis.^^  About  one  mile  below  this  mill,  at 
Mechanicsville,  a  saw-mill  was  built  by  Evan  Townsend 
in  1794.  For  many  years  it  was  used  as  a  saw-mill  only, 
and  part  of  the  time  owned  by  William  Bennett,  who 
carried  on  an  extensive  business  there.  After  Noah  Shull 
purchased  it,  a  hominy  mill  was  attached,  and  some  of  the 
farmers  raised  white  corn,  expressly  for  making  hominy. 
The  present  owner,  Charles  Buckman,  has  attached  a  mill 
for  grinding  feed.*^  Farther  down  the  stream,  about  one 
and  a  half  miles,  is  Gordon's  Mill,  built  by  John  Hillborn, 
in  1825.  For  several  years  this  was  owned  by  John 
Gordon,  but  since  his  death  has  passed  into  other  hands. 
Ephraim  Howell  said  that  the  first  season  he  lived  at 
what  is  now  called  Gordon's  Mill,  the  dam  broke.  It  had 
no  waste-place  originally,  except  at  the  east  corner.  He 
erected  a  framework  there,  but  in  the  morning  after  its 
completion  he  was  surprised  to  find  that  the  water  had 
forced  a  passage  through  it,  and  the  dam  was  nearly 
empty.  Plenty  of  fish  were  caught  in  what  was  left,  and 
he  found  the  track  of  an  animal  in  the  mud  supposed  to 
be  that  of  an  otter.  He  then  dug  stone  and  got  Jesse 
James  to  build  the  present  stone-work  of  the  breast  of  the 
dam,  about  1776.  The  only  mill  not  yet  mentioned  is  on 
the  same  creek,  in  the  southern  end  of  the  township.  It 
was  long  owned  by  Samuel  Smedley,  and  often  goes  by 
the  name  of  Smedley's  Mill.    It  is  now  owned  by  Jona- 

'®  This  mill  is  now  owned  by  James  McMullen. 

^"This  mill  was  torn  down  about  twenty  years  ago.  .; 


1 82  THE  HISTORY  OF 

than  Knight/^  and  is  conveniently  located  for  doing- 
business.  Being  located  on  the  Poquessing,  within  two 
miles  of  its  mouth,  its  wheels  are  seldom  still  from  want 
of  water.  It  is  probably  the  oldest  mill  site  in  the  town- 
ships, but  we  have  been  unable  to  find  any  account  either 
of  the  time  when  a  mill  was  first  erected  there,  or  of  its 
subsequent  history. 

NEW  COUNTY. 

The  people  in  the  rural  parts  of  the  city  have,  for  many 
years,  desired  to  be  separated  from  the  built-up  portions, 
and  various  attempts  have  been  made  to  accomplish  that 
end.  In  1812^^  it  was  proposed  to  make  a  new  county 
from  portions  of  Philadelphia,  Montgomery  and  Bucks 
counties,  and  the  Legislature  petitioned  to  that  effect;  but 
it  was  a  failure.  In  1841*^  the  project  was  revived  with 
some  hope  of  success;  but  the  Legislature  thought  pro- 
per not  to  grant  their  request.  In  1856,  soon  after  the 
Consolidation  Act  went  into  operation,  a  third  attempt  at 
separation  was  made,  and  nearly  every  person  exerted 
himself  to  obtain  what  all  so  much  wished.  Many  meet- 
ings were  held,  and  delegations  sent  to  Harrisburg;  but 
all  without  avail.  The  people  of  the  townships  are  too 
valuable  not  to  be  citizens  of  a  great  city  like  Philadelphia, 
and  therefore  the  representatives  of  the  people  concluded 
that  it  would,  for  the  interest  and  welfare  of  said  inhabit- 
ants, be  best  for    them    to    remain    connected    with  the 

"This  mill  is  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Knight,  widow  of  Jonathan 
Knight.   • 

"  This  should  be  1809. 
"This  should  be  183 1. 


B YBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  ;1 83 

"largest  city  in  the  world ;"  and  "Penn  County,"  with  all 
its  advantages,  lives  only  in  the  wishes  of  the  people.^"* 


REA/[  ARK  ABLE  OCCURRENCES,  ETC. 

In  the  autumn  of  1812,  a  violent  hurricane  passed 
across  the  townships,  and  did  much  damage.  The  roof 
of  the  academy  at  Bustleton  was  blown  off;  Jacob  Wil- 
son's barn,  in  Byberry,  was  blown  to  pieces;  Joseph 
Knight's  wagon-house  was  overturned,  and  a  part  of 
Thomas  Gilbert's  house  unroofed;  fences  were  blown 
down,  trees  uprooted  or  snapped  off  a  few  feet  from  the 
ground,  and  orchards  nearly  destroyed.  In  1820  and  '21 
similar  storms  visited  the  townships,  and  did  equally  as 
much  damage.  On  the  2d  of  April,  1841,  a  very  violent 
storm  occurred  about  sunset.  It  unroofed  Asa  Walm- 
sley's  barn,  destroyed  a  threshing-machine  house  for 
Charles  Martindale,  moved  two  long  rows  of  sheds  at 
the  meeting-house,  and  blew  over  several  trees  in  different 
parts  of  the  townships.  On  the  12th  of  the  same  month 
snow  fell  all  day  and  part  of  the  night,  and  was  on  an 
average  about  twelve  inches  deep. 

Since  1841  the  townships  have  been  visited  by  several 
hurricanes,  which  have  done  much  damage  by  uprooting 
trees,  etc. 

A  remarkable  instance  of  the  sagacity  of  a  dog  is  men- 
tioned as  occurring  in  1820.  Jesse  Knight  removed  with 
his  family  from  Byberry  to  Zanesville,  Ohio,  and  took  his 

**  Robert  Purvis  was  very  active  in  his  opposition  to  this  separation 
frorn  Philadelphia.  This  attempt  in  1856  was  for  the  purpose  of 
uniting  with  Bucks  County  rather  than  the  formation  of  a  new 
county. 


184  THE  HISTORY  OF 

dog  with  him.  After  arriving  at  his  destination,  the  dog 
was  very  uneasy,  and  appeared  dissatisfied  with  his  new 
home.  Accordingly,  he  took  *  Trench  leave,"  and  started 
for  his  old  friends  and  comrades  in  Byberry,  where  he 
arrived  in  due  time,  having  travelled  more  than  four 
hitndred  miles,  and  crossed  several  large  streams  of  water 
in  his  journey.  He  was  very  tired  and  quite  thin  when 
he  reached  his  old  quarters,  but  in  other  respects  he  was 
none  the  worse  for  his  long  journey. 

LARGE  TREES. 

Among  the  large  trees  in  Byberry  and  Moreland  we 
find  mention  of  a  large  chestnut  tree  on  the  farm  of  the 
late  Franklin  Comly,  Esq.  It  was  twenty-seven  feet  in 
circumference.  It  was  struck  by  lightning  and  killed, 
after  which  it  was  cut  down  by  Isaac  Krewson. 

A  very  large  willow  tree  was  blown  over  on  Jabez 
Wilson's  house,*^  April  2,  1841 ;  and  during  the  same 
year  a  large  white  oak,  about  eleven  feet  in  diameter,  was 
cut  down.  It  stood  between  the  house  and  the  creek,  and 
made  over  seventeen  cords  of  wood. 

A  very  old  pear  tree  on  Watson  Comly's  farm  was 
cut  down  in  the  year  1854.  It  was  nine  feet  nine  inches 
in  circtmiference,  fifty  feet  in  height,  and  made  over  three 
cords  of  wood.  It  was  over  one  hundred  years  of  age, 
and  produced  fruit  until  it  was  cut  down. 

A  large  chestnut  tree,  six  feet  in  diameter,  on  John 
Carver's  farm,  was  cut  down  by  Watson  Comly  in  1855. 
It  made  ten  cords  of  wood  and  one  hundred  and  eighty 
posts; 

"This  house  now  belongs  to  Dennis  Mahony. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 85 

The  largest  tree  of  any  kind  in  the  townships  was, 
without  doubt,  the  "old  elm"  which  stood  in  front  of 
John  Carver's  house,  and  about  one  hundred  yards  dis- 
tant. It  was,  on  account  of  its  great  size,  a  curiosity,  and 
sojourning  strangers  often  went  to  view  its  gigantic  form. 
It  stood  alone  in  all  its  majesty  away  from  surrounding 
trees,  and  was  a  noble  specimen  of  that  noble  species  now 
so  seldom  seen  around  our  dwellings.  It  measured 
twenty-five  feet  in  circumference,  was  forty  feet  up  to  its 
branches,  and  its  topmost  limbs  were  one  hundred  and 
ten  feet  high.  How  long  it  had  stood  none  could  tell; 
but  for  several  years  previous  to  its  destruction  it  had 
been  gradually  decaying.  In  the  autumn  of  1856,  the 
"old  elm"  took  fire  from  some  burning  brush,  and,  being 
dry,  it  burned  so  rapidly  that  it  fell  the  next  day.  The 
limbs  burned  for  three  days,  and  were  finally  extinguished 
by  a  shower  of  rain;  but  the  roots  burned  for  over  one 
week.  Mahlon  Carver  states  that  the  tree  made  twenty- 
five  cords  of  wood.  For  many  a  long  year  the  branches 
of  this  venerable  old  elm  were  waved  by  the  passing 
breeze,  and  beneath  its  shade  thousands  of  human  beings 
stood  to  view  its  gigantic  form ;  but  the  old  tree — a  con- 
necting link  between  the  present  and  the  long-since  past — 
has,  like  a  mighty  monarch,  fallen. 

"Then  hail  to  that  ehn !  that  brave  old  elm ! 
Our  last  lone  forest  tree, 
Whose  limbs  outstood  the  lightning's  brand, 
For  a  brave  old  elm  was  he !  ■ 

"For  seven  score  of  full-told  years 

He  bore  his  leafy  prime, 
And  like  a  relic  of  the  past 

He  told  of  the  olden  time. 


1 86  THE  HISTORY  OF 

"But  the  raging  fire  felled  his  giant  form, 

And  we  ne'er  shall  see  him  more; 
So  here  is  a  tear  to  the  memory 

Of  the  elm  before  the  door." 

A  large  poplar  tree  formerly  stood  on  Nicholas  Hel- 
verson's,  now  James  Tomlinson's  farm.  It  was  130  feet 
high,  50  feet  up  to  the  lowest  limb,  and  16  feet  in  circum- 
ference near  the  ground.  It  was  cut  down  by  Silas 
Roads,  and  sawed  up  for  bedsteads.  It  stood  near  Jacob 
Saurman's  line  some  distance  back  from  the  turnpike. 

A  very  tall  hickory  tree  grew  in  Jacob  Saurman's 
woods.^^  It  was  120  feet  high,  and  when  cut  down 
made  over  four  cords  of  wood. 

On  John  Carver's,  now  Colonel  Burling's  farm  are  two 
pear  trees,  still  standing,  which  were  brought  over  from 
England  by  the  first  John  Carver  in  1682,  and  are  conse- 
quently over  174  years  old.  One  of  them  is  still  alive  and 
bears  fruit. 

On  the  late  Alfred  Worthington's  farm  stands  a  chest- 
nut tree  that  measures  28  feet  in  circumference.  It  is 
still  in  full  vigor,  and  probably  the  largest  tree  now 
standing  in  either  township.'*'^ 

RIG  WOMAN. 

Although  the  people  of  Byberry  are  generally  shrewd, 
and  by  no  means  can  be  called  "green,"  yet  some  of  ye 
ancient  ones  were  led  into  snares,  and  listened  to  the  "lo 
here's"  and  "lo  there's."  Several  ludicrous  accounts  of 
their  gullibility  have  been  preserved,  one  of  which,  we 

**This  property  is  now  owned  by  Elizabeth  and  Ira  Saurman. 
*'  This  tree  stood  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Thomas  Shallcross. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 87 

think,  deserves  a  passing  notice  in  this  history.  Some 
fifty  years  ago  one  or  two  wags  in  Byberry,  for  want  of 
better  employment,  raised  a  report  that  some  hunters  in 
the  Far  West  had  discovered  a  family  of  giants,  consist- 
ing of  a  man,  his  wife  and  child.  The  man  was  unwilling 
to  be  captured,  and  resisted  them  so  fiercely  that  they  were 
forced,  partly  in  self-defence,  to  shoot  him.  After  his 
death  the  wife  and  child,  considering  resistance  useless,, 
submitted  to  their  captors,  and  were  brought  eastward  to 
be  exhibited  to  the  wondering  people  inhabiting  the  towns, 
and  villages  in  Pennsylvania.  The  man  was  covered  with 
hair,  like  the  wild  animals  of  his  native  forests;  but,  un- 
fortunately, his  precious  body  lay  buried  near  the  spot 
where  he  so  gallantly  fought  for  his  dear  wife  and  child. 
The  latter  were  brought  on  in  excellent  health,  and  were 
said  to  be  on  exhibition  at  Flourtown,  a  small  village  in 
Montgomery  County,  about  ten  miles  distant.  The 
mother  w^as  sixteen  feet  high,  and  the  "little  one,"  though 
only  six  months  old,  was  six  feet  high.  It  required  one 
barrel  of  flour  per  week  to  keep  the  woman  in  bread,  and 
the  child  drained  the  udders  of  three  cows,  besides  the 
nourishment  obtained  from  the  mother.  Wonderful  and 
improbable  as  were  these  stories,  they  were  credited  by 
many  people,  and  several  of  the  more  curious  procured 
the  necessary  conveyances,  and  started  for  Flourtown  to 
see  the  "show."  It  is  said  they  felt  much  inward  satis- 
faction while  on  the  journey  there,  and  speculated  much 
upon  the  appearance,  etc.,  of  the  lady;  and  one  or  two, 
who  were  basking  in  the  sunshine  of  "single  blessedness,'* 
expressed  themselves  as  satisfied  that  the  husband  had 
been  slaughtered.    As  they  neared  the  village  their  excite- 


l88  THE  HISTORY  OF 

ment  increased,  and,  whipping  up  their  "nags"  into  a  John 
Gilpin  pace,  they  entered  the  town  and  drew  up  at  the 
principal  hotel.  Not  finding  a  very  large  crowd  in  at- 
tendance, and  but  little  excitement,  they,  after  refreshing, 
cautiously  asked  "if  there  had  not  been  a  show  there?" 
but  their  amazement  was  indeed  great  when  the  landlord 
stated  "he  had  not  heard  of  any  except  one  of  a  learned 
goat/'  Their  spirits  becoming  more  and  more  depressed, 
they  refreshed  once  and  again,  and,  with  fallen  counten- 
ances, started  home.  After  this  party  had  fairly  started, 
the  wags  raised  a  second  report  that  the  "show"  had  been 
removed  to  Jenkintown,  several  miles  nearer.  As  soon 
as  this  was  heard,  several  others,  mostly  on  foot,  started 
for  that  place,  determined  not  to  let  such  a  favorable 
opportunity  pass  to  see  so  great  a  natural  curiosity.  They 
trudged  on,  with  high  hopes  and  great  anticipations,  and 
in  due  time  arrived  at  Jenkintown,  where  they  saw  their 
fellow-dupes  and  the  learned  goat,  but  nothing  of  the 
"Big  Woman."  After  much  "smiling"  to  keep  up  their 
depressed  spirits,  they  turned  toward  home  wiser,  if  not 
better  men.  The  hoax  was  too  good  to  be  kept,  and  soon 
was  in  everybody's  mouth;  but  it  grated  harshly  upon 
the  ears  of  those  whose  credulity  had  been  practiced  upon, 
and  for  many  years  afterward  it  was  much  safer,  before 
mentioning:  the  "Big  Woman"  in  the  presence  of  any  of 
the  victims,  to  be  certain  that  there  was  room  for  a  retreat 
in  the  rear,  for  it  seldom  failed  to  create  a  pugnaciou:* 
spirit  in  the  humbugged  person. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 89 

ACCOUNT  OF  A  FEW  BIRTHS  AND  DEATHS  IN  BYBERRY 
AND  VICINITY. 

Born. 

Joseph  Knight 1680 

Abigail,  his  wife 1682 

Mary  Thornton,  their  daughter  . .  1723 

Giles  Knight,  their  son  1719 

Elizabeth,  his  wife  1717 

Henry  Tomlinson 1721 

Sarah  Titus 1713 

Thomas  Townsend   1720 

John  Townsend   1723 

Catharine  Singley   1702 

Sarah  Bolton 1698 

John   Paul    1715 

Edward  Parry   1725 

Susanna  Walmsley   1715 

Nathaniel  Samms 1718 

Grace  Townsend   1721 

Jonathan  Parry 1743 

Rachel  Bolton  1728 

Thomas  Ridge   1728 

William  Walton  (Jersey  Billy)   . .  1725 

Daniel  Brittin  (Smithfieid)    1690 

Elizabeth  Brittin   1687 

John  Brittin,  son  of  Daniel 1715 

Thomas  Walmsley,  Sr 1674 

Mary,  his  wife  1676 

David  Jones,  an  ancient  man 

Thomas  Walton 1658 

Henry  Walmsley 1671 

Thomas  Tomlinson  (Bensalem)   . .  1688 

Joanna,  his  wife 1702 

Joseph  Gilbert 1675 

Thomas  Rush  1685 

William  Ridge  1696 

Thomas  Walton  1693 

William  Croasdale    1689 

;        Samuel  Allen  1701 

William  Homer 1707 

Isaac  Carver  1721 

Phebe,  his  wife 1718 

William  Hibbs  1700 

John  Carver   1717 

Ann  Davis  1715 

Giles  Knight   1720 

We  find,  upon  looking  over  the  list  of  subscribers  ta 
defray  the    expenses    of    Byberry    Meeting,  that  of  the 


Died. 

Age 

1762 

82 

1764 

82 

1793 

70 

1799 

80 

1766 

49 

1800 

79 

1792 

79 

1794 

74 

i8oo 

17 

1802 

100 

1784 

86 

1786 

71 

1792 

67 

1795 

80 

1796 

78 

1803 

82 

1809 

66 

1810 

82 

1810 

82 

1807 

82 

1760 

70 

1766 

79 

1795 

80 

1754 

80 

1755 

79 

1756 

1758 

100 

1759 

88 

1764 

76 

1772 

70 

1765 

1771 

86 

1776 

80 

1777 

84 

1777 

88 

1785 

84 

1786 

79 

1786 

65 

1793 

75 

89 

1791 

74 

1798 

83 

1799 

79 

190  THE  HISTORY  OF 

seventy- four  persons  mentioned  in  1806,  not  one  is  now 
living;  of  the  seventy  persons  mentioned  in  1807,  James 
Paul  only  is  living ;  of  the  seventy- four  persons  mentioned 
in  1809,  Jeremiah  Comfort,  James  Paul,  and  Robert 
Parry  only  are  living;  and,  of  the  eighty-five  subscribers 
for  building  Byberry  Meeting  House,  in  1818,  John  P. 
Townsend,  Jeremiah  Comfort,  Mary  Pike,  and  Robert 
Parry  only  are  living.  Thus  in  a  few  short  years  the 
present  generation  will  have  passed  away,  and  the  places 
^hich  know  us  now  will  then  know  us  no  more  forever. 

NOTES  OF  EVENTS  EXTRACTED  FROM  OLD 
MANUSCRIPTS. 

[1753-]  Jo^i^  Holgate  on  the  township. 

A  legacy  of  £17  3^.  8d.  left  to  Byberry  by  Philip 
Honey. 

[1754.]  The  township  Dr.  to  100  hobnails  bought  of 
Thomas  Maul  for  Holgate's  shoes,  4c?. 
.    Making  two  shirts  for  Holgate  with  thread,  3^.  4c?. 

Making  breeches  for  Holgate  with  thread,  3^.  6d. 

Making  shoes  for  Holgate,  ys.  6d. 

Drawing  a  tooth  for  Holgate  by  Thomas  Townsend, 
-gd. 

The  township  Dr.  to  Thomas  Mardon  for  keeping  with 
victuals,  drink,  washing,  lodging,  and  mending,  the  said 
Holgate  from  May  the  4th,  1754,  till  March  the  25th, 

1755,  ^5- 

Thomas  Mardon  and  William  Homer  were  Overseers 
oi  the  Poor  for  the  year  1754.  The  following  letter  to 
them  will  show  one  of  the  customs  of  that  early  day : 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  I9I 

"April  the  First,  1754. 

"Friend  Thomas  Mardon  and  WilHam  Homer,  you  are 
hereby  desired,  according  to  your  lawful  commissions,  to 
consider,  grant,  and  warn  or  forewarn,  one  Jonathan 
Wright  and  his  family  either  to  inhabit  quietness,  or  else 
forbid  them  from  having  my  plantation  for  this  year, 
according  to  our  lease. 

"From  William  Homer/'' 

"He  was  accordingly  forbidden  by  the  aforesaid  Over- 
seers." 

[1759.]  Paid  lawyer  Moreland  £1  17^.  6d.  for  advice 
and  assistance  on  account  of  ye  poor. 

[1760.]  John  Keen  killed  by  a  fall  from  a  horse. 

Justice  Austin  paid  for  swearing  Jane  Cox. 

Sarah  Dykes,  Jane  Cox  and  child,  and  Joan  Smith  on 
poor  list. 

Paid  9^.  4c?.  for  ij4  yards  of  bearskin  for  Holgate's 
jacket. 

Paid  8^.  for  Holgate's  shoes. 

Paid  lawyer  Galloway  for  advice,  £1  2S.  6d. 

Paid  lawyer  John  Ross,  £3  2s.  6d. 

Paid  lawyer  Moreland,  £3  10^. 

Third  mo.  16,  a  very  great  snow  fell. 

[1761.]  Paid  Joseph  Galloway  for  advice,  £2. 

Bought  linsey  woolsey  at  3^.  per  yard. 

Paid  £1  to  William  Folwell  for  tending  Court  at  New- 
town ten  days,  to  prove  Jane  Cox's  husband  served  four 
years,  by  indenture,  with  him  in  Jersey. 

[1762.]  Samuel  Swift  noted  as  a  doctor. 

Joseph  Galloway  paid  lys.  6d.  for  removing  a  trial 
irom  the  Quarter  Sessions  to  the  Supreme  Court. 


192  THE  HISTORY  OF 

[1764.]  Josiah  Foster  killed  by  a  wagon. 

Joan  Smith  removed  to  Abington. 

Daniel  Boileau's  wife  killed  by  thunder. 

[1765.]  March  22,  a  very  great  snow  began  to  fall, 
which  lasted  till  the  29th,  at  night. 

[1767.]  Mary  Grimes  killed  by  a  riding  chair. 

Thomas  Homer  killed  by  a  cart. 

[1768.]  John  Holgate  died. 

[1769.]   April  20th,  a  very  smart  shower  of  snow. 

[1770.]  I  OS.  received  of  Alexander  Edwards  for  pro- 
fane swearing. 

ys,  6d.  paid  to  Mary  States  for  extending  kindness  to 
Catharine  Hickey  in  time  of  labor. 

[177 1.]  John  Johnson  fined  5^.  by  Alex.  Edwards  for 
profane  swearing. 

[1772.]  John  Humphreys  fined  ^s.  by  Alex.  Edwards 
for  profane  swearing. 

[1775.]  8  mo.  5,  Peter  States  killed  by  the  fall  of  Gill's 
house  when  it  was  raining. 

[1776.]  I  mo.  9,  Mary  Tanner  departed  this  life  about 
4  o'clock  in  the  morning,  being  about  89  years  of  age. 

[1777.]  2  mo.  4,  Priscilla  Walton  buried;  died  with 
the  small-pox. 

5  mo.  The  First  of  this  month  Howe's  army  is  to 
come — Robert  Croasdale  told  Jonathan  Wilson. 

5  mo.  I,  Abel  Knight  died  from  a  hurt  received  from 
a  cart. 

6  mo.  9,  Benjamin  Walton,  Jacob  Roads,  and  William 
Peart  stole  a  blanket  from  me, Carver. 

[1779.]  2  mo.  16,  Rachel  Carver  heard  the  shad-frogs. 
3  mo.  24,  a  deep  snow,  and  a  very  snowy  day. 


[  BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 93 

6  mo.  28,  began  wheat  harvest,  and  finished  7  mo.  8. 
[1780.]  2  mo.  6,  a  tea-pot  cost  £31  lys,  6d.  Continental 

money. 

3  mo.  30,  snow  all  day  long — the  snow  eleven  inches 
deep  in  common. 

4  mo.  2,  went  to  meeting  in  the  sleigh ;  it  was  tolerably 
good  going;  some  came  four  miles. 

5  mo.  19,  a  remarkably  dark  day,  with  smoke. 

7  mo.  13,  began  to  cut  wheat. 

8  mo.  15,  eat  common  red  cherries. 

10  mo.  7,  a  new  tea-kettle  bought  for  £112  io.y. 
12  mo.  4,  ground  covered  with  snow. 
12  mo.  19,  green  flies  plenty. 

[178 1.]  2  mo.  3  and  4,  trees  covered  with  ice  to  admira- 
tion. 

7  mo.  finished  hauling  wheat — lateness  occasioned  by 
wet  weather  and  heavy  wheat. 

9  mo.  15,  finished  sowing  wheat. 

[1782.]  9  mo.  7,  John  Carver  finished  sowing  forty- 
five  acres  of  wheat. 

12  mo.  9,  in  the  morning  it  began  to  snow,  and  con- 
tinued until  midnight,  snowing  very  fast  most  of  the  time. 
It  was  near  fourteen  inches  deep. 

[1783.]  I  mo.  9  and  10,  a  very  great  snow  storm,  about 
twelve  or  fourteen  inches  deep. 

5  mo.  21,  the  locusts  began  to  come  out  of  the  ground 
in  great  numbers. 

8  mo.  29,  began  sowing  wheat. 
[1784.]   4  mo.  9,  the  cistern  froze. 

[1785.]   Frogs  heard  for  first  time,  3  mo.  ist.  I 

i         13 


194  THE  HISTORY  OF 

4  mo.  1 6,  there  was  a  hard,  black  frost,  and  the  Httle, 
still  ponds  were  frozen  over. 

4  mo.  19,  a  great  hail  storm. 

12  mo.  18,  the  weather  very  warm. 
12  mo.  19,  heard  the  bluebirds. 

[1786.]  4  mo.  4,  hail  and  snow  fell  to  the  depth  of  5 
inches. 

5  mo.  18,  a  white  frost. 

12  mo.  4,  about  ten  inches  of  snow  fell  upon  an  average, 
if  it  had  not  drifted. 

12  mo.  8,  it  snowed  and  hailed,  with  a  very  high  wind. 
Snow  drifted  to  a  great  height. 

12  mo.  25,  Isaac  Carver  departed  this  life  with  the 
small-pox. 

[1787.]  4  mo.  21,  a  very  smart  snow;  the  ground  in 
the  evening  covered  white  with  snow;  the  trees  in  full 
bloom ;  and  it  froze  near  an  inch  thick,  and  looked  awful. 

6  mo.  23,  Mary  Carver  taken  ill  with  the  small-pox. 
12  mo.  22,  the  roads  dry  and  dusty. 

[1788.]  Second  Month,  eighteenth  day. 

Our  boy,  James  Anderson  ran  away. 

7  mo.  16,  began  harvesting;  the  first  of  the  fly  to  our 
knowledge. — ^John  Carver. 

9  mo.  I,  Thomas  Roberts  killed  by  falling  out  of  a  tree. 
[1789.]   2  mo.   19,  a  very  deep  snow,  near  fourteen 
inches,  if  it  had  not  drifted. 

7  mo.  30,  a  great  flood. 

8  mo.  2,  3,  and  4,  there  were  four  stout  freshes  in 
Poquessing  Creek. 

[1790.]  4  mo.  28 — this  morning  the  ground  was 
covered  with  snow,  and  some  of  it  lasted  till  night. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 95 

[179 1.]  10  mo.  18,  the  trees  were  covered  with  sleet. 
It  snowed  and  hailed  and  rained.  The  sleet  lasted  all  the 
day  long. 

[1792.]   5  mo.  19,  a  large  frost. 

[1793-]  12  mo.  3  and  4,  it  snowed  and  blowed  very- 
hard.  The  snow  was  thought  by  some  to  be  fourteen 
inches  deep. 

[1795-]   6  mo.  2,  a'  hail  storm. 

[1804.]   3  mo.  29,  thunder  and  great  rain. 

[1806.]  First  snow  12  mo.  3;  moon  twenty-three  days 
old  when  the  snow  fell. 

8  mo.  23,  a  great  rain. 

II  mo.  I,  nothing  in  garden  yet  killed  by  frost. 

[1807.]  4  mo.  25,  the  first  thunder  of  the  season. 

[1829.]  9  mo.  17,  Isaac  Comly  saw  a  land  turtle  on  his 
farm  which  was  marked  I.  C.  (Isaac  Comly),  1790; 
E.  C.  (Ezra  Comly),  1795;  J.  C.  (Joseph  Comly),  1799. 
This  turtle  had  been  seen  in  1811,  181 2,  181 5,  and  18 19. 
On  the  same  day  he  found  another  turtle,  which  he  had 
marked  I.  C.  in  1789,  forty  years  previous. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

The  good  people  of  these  townships  were  probably 
without  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  prior  to  1770,  when 
Alexander  Edwards  took  out  a  commission.  Previous  to 
that  time,  those  in  need  of  such  services  resorted  to  Bus- 
tleton  or  Holmesburg.  Edwards  died  in  1777,  and  his 
son,  Dr.  Edwards,  succeeded  him  in  the  commission ;  but 
in  1792  he  removed  to  Frankford,  where  he  died  in  1802. 
Dr.  Edwards  was  very   useful  in   the   neighborhood  in 


196  THE  HISTORY  OF 

keeping  order  among  those  needing  restraint,  and  espec- 
ially among  the  large  boys,  who  congregated  on  the  Sab- 
bath for  unnecessary  and  often  pernicious  practices. 
Prior  to  the  Revolution  no  physician  had  thought  proper 
to  locate  in  either  of  the  townships ;  but  about  that  time  we 
find  Dr.  Swift  settled  in  Moreland  and  engaged  in  an 
extensive  practice.  Soon  afterward  Dr.  Edwards  located 
in  Byberry,  and  although  considered  a  skilful  physician, 
he  gave  up  the  practice  after  the  Revolution,  and  turned 
his  attention  to  politics  and  farming.  The  next  one  of 
note  was  Dr.  Samuel  Knight,  in  the  lower  end  of  the 
township.  He  w^as  much  beloved,  and  had  the  confidence 
of  all  classes  until  his  death,  in  1796.  After  this  physi- 
cians became  more  plenty,  and  the  townships  have  since 
always  been  well  supplied  with  members  of  that  useful 
profession.  In  1784  a  stone  barn,  the  first  in  this  vicinity, 
was  built  by  Isaac  Comly,  on  a  place  known  as  "Old 
Sod,"  and  since  then  the  property  of  his  son  Isaac,  and 
now  ow^ned  by  Dr.  Comly.*^  A  part  of  this  is  still  stand- 
ing, the  walls  being  good,  but  the  woodwork  is  nearly 
gone.  In  1796,  the  barn  now  belonging  to  John  P.  Town- 
send,  in  Mechanicsville,  was  built.  About  the  same  time 
Edward  Duffield  built  a  barn  in  Moreland,  near  the  vil- 
lage of  Somerton.^^  These  were  the  first  bams  with 
stabling  underneath  and  a  bridge  to  get  to  the  floor  and 
mows.  They  are  generally  known  as  "cellar  barns,"  and 
have  been  the  fashion  ever  since. 

In  former  times  tailors  and  shoemakers  did  not  work 

**  This  property  is  now  owned  by  James  Reiger. 

**The  barn  on  Edward  Duffield's  farm  is  still  standing  and  bears 
the  date  1789.  That  on  Reuben  Winkins'  farm  was  erected  about  1795. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 9/ 

in  shops  as  they  do  now,  but  they  went  from  house  to 
house  to  accommodate  their  employers;  this  was  called 
"whipping  the  cat."  The  farmers  would  buy  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  leather,  and  the  shoemaker  was  engaged  to 
come  once  a  year,  when  each  member  of  the  family  was 
supplied  with  a  pair  of  new  shoes.  As  he  boarded  with 
the  family  his  charges  were  moderate;  although  it  was 
often  very  inconvenient  for  both  parties.  The  tailor,  also, 
was  sent  for  as  soon  as  the  cloth  came  from  the  weaver's 
and  while  there  usually  made  up  a  suit  of  sheepskin 
breeches  for  lads  and  buckskin  for  men.  About  one  hun- 
dred years  ago  square-toed  shoes  and  boots  were  the  tip 
of  the  fashion  in  this  section.  The  same  fashion  has  pre- 
vailed three  times  in  the  last  fifty  years,  and  is  now  "all 
the  go."  Almost  every  farmer  thought  it  necessary  to 
raise  a  portion  of  flax,  from  which  were  manufactured 
sheets,  shirting,  and  all  other  necessary  articles  of  cloth- 
ing. One  acre  of  good  flax  would  produce  enough  to 
clothe  ten  or  twelve  persons,  and  could  be  raised  at  a 
trifling  cost.  When  the  tow  was  spun  it  was  dyed  differ- 
ent colors,  and  then  sent  to  the  weaver's,  who  wove  it 
into  cloth.  This  furnished  material  for  nearly  all  the 
common  clothing:  but  the  "Sunday"  clothes  were  made  of 
finer  materials,  such  as  velvet,  corduroy,  etc.  The  ap- 
parel of  the  female  portion  of  the  family  was  generally 
made  of  wool,  and  some  itinerant  wool-comber  and  spin- 
ner was  engaged  every  autumn  to  prepare  the  wool  for 
weaving.  From  the  first  introduction  of  sheep  in  the 
township  there  was  more  or  less  loss  sustained  from  hav- 
ing them  killed  by  the  dogs.  Almost  every  man  kept  one, 
and  some  as  many  as  half  a  dozen  worthless  curs,  which 


198  THE  HISTORY  OF 

were  of  no  use  to  anybody,  but  always  doing  some  mis- 
chief in  the  neighborhood.  In  order  to  recompense  the 
owners  of  the  sheep  for  their  loss,  some  persons,  in  1826, 
petitioned  the  Legislature  and  obtained  from  it  an  Act  for 
taxing  all  the  dogs  in  the  township.  The  tax  was  to  be 
collected  by  the  Overseers  of  the  Poor,  and  the  money 
to  be  applied  to  paying  for  all  sheep  killed  or  injured  by 
the  dogs.  From  the  passage  of  the  Act,  in  1826,  until 
1858,  a  period  of  thirty-two  years,  the  sum  paid  for  sheep 
thus  killed  amounted  to  one  thousand  and  fifty-six  dol- 
lars, being  an  average  of  thirty-three  dollars  per  year,  a 
sum  greater  than  the  real  value  of  all  the  dogs  in  the 
township.  On  the  night  of  the  19th  of  September,  1848, 
a  dog  killed  twenty  sheep  for  Watson  Comly,  and  the 
next  night  the  same  dog  killed  twenty  more  for  Morton 
Walmsley.  The  latter  sheep  were  in  a  pen  having  a  high 
fence  around  it.  Into  this  the  dog  got  by  jumping  off  the 
barn  bridge  near  by ;  but  after  doing  the  mischief  he  was 
unable  to  escape  from  the  pen,  and  in  the  morning  was 
dispatched  by  the  owner  of  the  sheep.  Several  others 
suffered  in  the  same  way,  and  fewer  sheep  have  been  kept 
since  that  time,  partly  on  account  of  the  danger  of  having 
them  killed  by  the  dogs. 

Various  schemes  for  getting  rich  in  a  shorter  time  than 
is  possible  in  the  ordinary  way,  have  from  time  to  time 
been  tried ;  but  all  of  them  have  uniformly  proved  failures, 
and  left  the  experimenters  in  a  worse,  instead  of  a  better, 
condition.  Among  these  we  hear  of  John  Hopkins' 
scheme  for  getting  rich  by  raising  mustard,  John  Han- 
cock's plan  of  cultivating  castor  beans  to  make  "cold 
expressed  castor  oil ;"  and  John  Livezey's  culture  of  the 


BYEERRY  AND  MORELAND.  1 99 

Cayenne  pepper-plant  to  supply  the  people  with  that  arti- 
cle. In  1838,  the  famous  morus  multicaulis  was  intro- 
duced, and  extensive  plans  for  raising  silk  were  entered 
into.  David  Comfort  erected  a  large  frame  building, 
thirty  by  fifty  feet,  for  a  cocoonery ;  but  the  bubble  burst ; 
so  that  in  the  latter  part  of  the  same  year  the  trees  were 
worthless,  and  could  not  be  sold  at  any  price,  the  cocoons 
could  not  be  given  away,  and  all  the  glorious  expectations 
vanished  like  snow  beneath  the  summer's  sun.  Several 
were  plunged  into  irretrievable  ruin,  and  their  properties 
soon  advertised  by  the  sheriff.  Comfort's  cocoonery  was 
sold  in  1843  ^t  less  than  one- fourth  of  its  original  cost, 
and  was  purchased  by  Charles  Martindale,  who  employed 
Joseph  Comly  to  move  it  to  his  farm,  a  distance  of  half  a 
mile.  This  required  four  days;  but  was  finally  accom- 
plished wathout  any  injury  to  the  building.^^ 

About  the  year  1836,  an  anti-slavery  society  was  estab- 
lished, and  persons  employed  to  lecture  on  the  "Abolish- 
ment of  African  Slavery."  These  lectures  were  kept  up 
for  several  years,  and  during  that  time  some  attempts 
were  made  to  improve  the  condition  of  the  blacks  in  the 
vicinity.  Under  the  auspices  of  this  society  a  Sabbath- 
school  for  their  instruction  was  established  at  the  school- 
house  in  the  meeting-house  yard,  and  continued  for 
several  months,  but  it  gradually  declined.  The  members 
also  lost  their  interest  in  the  society,  and  it  survived  the 
school  but  a  short  time.  It  was  the  intention  of  this 
society  to  establish  an  anti-slavery  library,  and  several 
volumes  w^ere  purchased  for  that  purpose.     These  were 

°°  David  Comfort  lived  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  Jacob  Eckfeldt 
and  Charles  Martindale  occupied  the  farm  now  occupied  by  Frank 
Morrell. 


200  THE  HISTORY  OF 

kept  at  the  house  of  Samuel  Kirk,  in  Mechanicsville, 
where  most  of  them  still  remain,  although  no  new  ones 
have  been  added  for  many  years,  and  but  little  interest  is 
now  manifested  in  regard  to  it.^^ 

In  1792,  a  society  for  debate  was  started  by  the  young 
men  of  Byberry.  At  first  they  met  at  Thomas  Walmsley's 
house,  and  afterward  at  the  school-house.  It  was  gener- 
ally called  ''The  Congress,"  and  lasted  only  one  winter. 
In  1796,  another  was  started  under  the  name  of  'The 
Fraternal  Society,"  with  Asa  Walmsley  as  president,  and 
John  Comly  secretary.  It  lasted  one  year.  From  this 
time  till  1820  a  debating  school  was  in  operation  nearly 
every  winter.  One  of  these,  in  1807,  met  at  Byberry 
Cross-roads,  and  was  composed  of  nearly  all  the  inhabit- 
ants in  the  vicinity,  whether  good,  bad,  or  indifferent. 
Many  ludicrous  anecdotes  of  their  meetings  are  still  in 
existence.  William  Plumley  was  the  president;  and  on 
one.  occasion,  when  one  of  the  members  accidentally  got 
intoxicated,  he  was  fined  one  dollar,  which  sum  was  im- 
mediately paid.  In  1858,  the  Byberry  Literary  Society 
was  established,  with  eighty-four  members.  The  pro- 
ceedings were  of  an  interesting  character,  and  attracted 
much  attention,  so  that  the  meetings  were  well  attended. 
A  paper  known  as  the  Literary  Record  was  connected 
with  the  society,  the  articles  to  which  were  contributed 
by  the  members.  Some  of  these  compositions  were  very 
creditable,  and  evinced  considerable  talent  on  the  part  of 
the  writers.  After  the  commencement  of  the  late  rebel- 
lion several  members  left  the  neighborhood,  and  most  of 

"These  books  have  long  since  been  scattered. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  20I 

those  remaining  lost  all  interest  in  it,  so  that  it  was  closed 
in  1862. 

In  1864,  this  was  again  revived  under  the  title  of  ""By- 
berry  Institute;"  and  through  judicious  management  on 
the  part  of  the  members  has  become  more  popular  than 
any  such  institution  previously  established  in  the  town- 
ship. The  sessions  are  held  weekly  in  the  Byberry  Hall, 
and  generally  attract  full  houses.  This  society  held  its 
first  annual  reunion  in  a  romantic  spot  along  the  banks 
of  the  beautiful  Neshaminy,  in  August,  1865.  On  that 
occasion  several  hundred  invited  guests  assembled  to  lis- 
ten to  the  dialogues,  essays,  and  orations  which  were 
delivered  by  the  members.  The  day  was  favorable,  the 
exercises  were  good,  and  the  whole  affair  passed  off  with 
so  much  satisfaction,  that  the  first  annual  reunion  of  the 
Byberry  Institute  will  long  be  remembered  with  pleasure 
by  all  who  participated  in  its  enjoyments.  The  second 
annual  reunion  of  this  society  was  held  in  August,  1866, 
and  was  still  better  than  the  first.  These  societies  are  to 
be  commended  as  being  the  means  of  diffusing  useful 
knowledge  in  the  neighborhood,  and  we  hope  that  this 
one  may  be  long  continued. 

About  thirty  years  ago  a  "debating  school"  was  started 
in  Moreland,  and  the  meetings  were  held  in  Tillyer's 
school-house.  It  continued  for  several  years,  and  was 
attended  by  most  of  the  people  in  the  vicinity,  some  of 
whom  learned  right  well  how  ''to  spout."  In  latter  times 
a  society  for  debating  was  started  in  Somerton,  and  be- 
came so  popular  as  to  attract  speakers  who  lived  six  or 
eight  miles  away.  It  was  closed  in  1863,  and  has  not 
since  been  revived. 


202  THE  HISTORY  OF 

When  we  look  back,  even  for  a  few  years,  we  find  that 
great  changes  have  taken  place  in  almost  every  locality, 
particularly  in  the  buildings  and  the  general  appearance 
of  the  country.  Three  houses  formerly  stood  along  the 
Bustleton  and  Somerton  turnpike,  near  where  the  creek 
crosses  above  Byberry  Point.  The  one  on  the  west  side 
was  built  of  stones  and  logs,  and  but  one  story  high,  and 
was  for  many  years  occupied  by  Conrad  Lingerman.  The 
other  two  were  on  the  east  side,  about  fifty  yards  apart, 
both  being  on  the  farm  of  Thomas  Chappell.  One  of 
these  was  a  frame  house  two  stories  high,  with  but  one 
room  down  stairs,  and  was  occupied  by  Thomas  Clark, 
in  1820.  The  other  was  stone  and  log,  and  occupied,  in 
1822,  by  Joseph  Force;  soon  after  this  the  house  was  torn 
down.  At  Byberry  Point  a  very  old  frame  and  log  house 
stood  for  many  years,  and  was  at  one  time  occupied  by 
George  Dufiield.  It  was  taken  down  eight  or  nine  years 
since  by  Jesse  Clewell,  its  present  owner,  and  a  more  com- 
modious one  erected  in  its  place.  A  blacksmith  shop  for- 
merly stood  at  this  place,  but  has  been  gone  over  twenty- 
five  years.  Between  this  and  the  creek,  on  the  west  side 
of  the  road,  was  a  woods,  which  I  remember  as  a  dark, 
gloomy  place.  Just  above  the  point  on  the  Byberry  turn- 
pike was  a  woods  on  the  west  side,  and  near  by  an  old 
frame  dwelling  owned  and  occupied  for  many  years  by 
*'Bulger"  Worthington.^2  After  it  came  into  the  posses- 
sion of  George  W.  Saurman,  most  of  the  timber  was  sold 

"Bulger  Worthington  was  very  fond  of  a  practical  joke.  At  one 
time  he  placed  a  door  over  the  top  of  a  chimney  in  order  to  smoke 
out  some  negroes  who  were  holding  service  in  a  room  below.  They 
soon  discovered  his  trick  and,  instead  of  trouncing  him,  invited  him 
to  join  them. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  2O3. 

off,  and  a  new  house  built  in  the  woods,  in  1855.  The  old 
house  has  since  been  removed,  and  the  place  much  im- 
proved. At  Knightsville,  the  old  house  occupied  by 
Leonard  Knight,  Esq.,  was  torn  down  in  1856,  a  short 
time  after  the  Squire's  death.  The  old  school-house  which 
stood  nearly  opposite  to  John  Roberts's  tenant-house  has 
been  moved  back  into  John  Tomlinson's  orchard,  and  is 
now  used  as  a  wagon  and  store  house.  Opposite  Tillyer's 
school  a  very  old  log  house  stood  where  Mrs.  Thomas, 
now  lives,  and  was  owned  and  occupied  for  many  years  by 
Thomas  Helverson.  The  present  dwelling  was  built  by 
his  son  Sammy,  who  for  many  years  taught  the  school 
opposite.  An  old  house  stood  on  the  farm  now  owned  by 
Andrew  Erwin,^^  not  far  from  the  present  farm-house,, 
but  nearer  the  creek.  This  was  the  residence  of  Susan 
Albertson  for  several  years,  and  until  her  death  at  a  very 
advanced  age.  The  present  house  was  built  by  Squire 
Dawes. 

The  house  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  William  Potts  is 
very  old,  and  was  at  one  time  occupied  by  William  Wain- 
wright,  and  afterward  by  Dr.  Worthington,  who  removed 
thence  to  Somerton,  about  1823.  The  farm-house  on  the 
property  owned  by  the  late  Thomas  Worthington^^  was 
built  by  Thomas  Banes,  grandfather  of  Joseph  Banes,  of 
Bustleton,  in  place  of  a  very  old  log  house  formerly  there. 
Nearly  all  the  ancient  houses  in  Somerton  have  been  torn 
down  and  new  ones  erected  in  their  places,  so  that  the 
village  presents  rather  a  neat  appearance.  Four  old  huts 
in  this  village  were  torn  down  several  years  since  by  the 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Jonathan  Ervin. 
"This  property  is  now  owned  by  Charles  Heller. 


204  THE  HISTORY  OF 

neighbors,  in  order  to  get  rid  of  the  occupants,  who  occa- 
sionally visited  the  "hen-roosts"  and  "wood-piles"  in  the 
vicinity.  At  B'yberry  Cross-roads  there  has  been  great 
change.  There  was  a  large  tract  of  woodland  where  Silas 
Tomlinson's^^  house  now  stands,  and  which  extended 
along  the  turnpike  nearly  to  the  little  stream  crossing 
some  distance  below.  In  the  west  corner  was  a  store,  kept 
previous  to  1817  by  the  Carvers,  but  during  that  year  they 
sold  out  to  Isaac  Bolton.  It  was  afterwards  kept  by 
Josiah  Walton,  Thomas  R.  Martindale,  Charles  E.  Clay- 
ton, and  others.  A  blacksmith  shop  stood  in  the  north, 
and  a  small  tenement  in  the  south  corner.  All  of  these 
have  been  removed,  and  a  new  set  of  buildings  erected  in 
the  west  corner  by  Silas  Tomlinson,  the  present  owner. 
This  spot  formerly  had  the  euphonious  name  of  "Plumb- 
sock,"  but  is  now  called  "Byberry  Cross-roads."  An  old 
house  formerly  stood  under  the  walnut  tree  opposite  to 
Charles  Martindale's  orchard,  and  a  blacksmith  shop 
stood  in  the  orchard,  near  the  road.  The  well  near  the 
dwelling-house  remained  open  until  about  twenty  years 
ago.  It  had  been  filled  with  stones  to  within  six  or  eight 
feet  of  the  top,  and  was  thus  left,  until  one  day  when 
they  were  plowing  in  the  field,  one  of  the  horses  backed 
into  it.  After  considerable  trouble  he  was  taken  out  with 
a  few  bruises,  and  the  old  well  was  filled  up  on  the  same 
day.  An  old  log  house  formerly  stood  near  George 
Dehaven's  line,  on  land  belonging  to  Mr.  Wilmer.^^  It 
was  built  by  one  of  the  Waltons.     Another  log  house 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Aaron  Tomlinson.   Edwin  Tom- 
linson now  occupies  another  of  Silas  Tomlinson's  properties. 

"This  property  is  now  owned  by  Colonel  E.  D.  Morrell. 


.>■  iJMi  aLtt  iP} 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  20$ 

Stood  where  H.  Humphrey's  house  now  stands,  and  was 
torn  down  only  a  few  years  ago.  On  John  Roberts's^^ 
farm  stood  an  old  house  for  many  years  occupied  by 
Benny  Peart.  The  buildings  on  the  farm  belonging  to 
Charles  Martindale*'^^  formerly  consisted  of  an  old  stone 
house  and  a  log  barn.  The  barn  fell  down  near  thirty 
years  ago,  and  the  house  was  demolished  by  the  present 
owner  about  1848.  A  blacksmith  shop  formerly  stood  at 
the  corner  of  Comly's  road  and  Bustleton  turnpike,  near 
James  Tomlinson's  house.  It  was  removed  many  years 
ago.  A  blacksmith  shop  stood  at  Byberry  Point, 
and  for  many  years  belonged  to  George  Duffield, 
but  it  was  removed  thirty-odd  years  ago.  An  old 
still-house,  in  which  many  a  gallon  of  whiskey 
was  distilled,  formerly  stood  on  the  late  Judge  Som- 
mer's  farm.^^  The  whiskey  business  became  so  un- 
profitable that  it  was  given  up  about  forty  years  ago,  and 
the  still-house  converted  into  a  wagon-house.  A  still- 
house  also  stood  on  John  Lingerman's  farm,^^  then  be- 
longing to  John  Dyer,  but  this,  too,  has  long  since  passed 
away. 

The  road  leading  from  Byberry  Store  to  Townsend's 
Mill  had  a  woods  on  both  sides  of  it  for  a  considerable 
part  of  the  distance.  That  on  James  Thornton's  place, 
now  owned  by  Richard  Cripps,^^  was  for  many  years  left 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Joseph  Root. 

'*'*  Frank  Morrell  now  occupies  this  property. 

**  This  farm  is  now  occupied  by  Enoch  Taylor. 

"'  Edward  Duffield  had  a  distillery.  There  was  another  on  the 
Ashton  tract  on  the  Ashton  Road  in  Lower  Dublin. 

"^  This  property  is  now  owned  by  John  Jenks. 


206  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Open  as  commons,  and  was  a  place  of  resort  for  the  older 
part  of  the  present  generation  when  they  went  to  school. 
It  was  filled  with  cow-paths;  and  one  of  those  who  then 
frequented  that  spot  has  remarked  "that  the  tinkling  of 
the  cow-bell,  mingled  with  the  shouts  of  happy  school- 
children, when  he  was  a  boy,  still  come  fresh  to  his  mem- 
ory, although  like  the  old  woods  they  have  long  since 
departed  forever."  The  woods  on  Charles  Martindale's 
place,  between  his  orchard  and  John  Barney's,  has  been 
cut  down  since  my  memory,  although  as  far  back  as  1837. 
Further  on  were  extensive  tracts  of  woodland  on  the 
farms  of  John  Carver  and  Evan  Townsend,  which 
abounded  with  rabbits,  squirrels  and  partridges.  As  gun- 
ners were  not  permitted  there,  game  was  plenty,  and  the 
boys  in  the  vicinity  had  much  pleasure  as  well  as  profit 
in  trapping  and  snaring  it  in  the  fall  and  winter ;  but  the 
old  oaks,  chestnuts  and  hickories,  which  thickly  covered 
the  ground,  are  all  gone,  and  only  here  and  there  a  stump 
remains  to  tell  the  tale  to  passing  travelers.  The  east  side 
of  the  road  from  Byberry  Hall  to  Vanarsdalen's  Corner 
was  cleared  off  only  a  few  years  since ;  and  a  large  tract 
of  timber  on  the  road  from  the  Benjamin  Rush  School- 
house  to  Gordon's  dam  has  been  removed  within  the  last 
twenty  years,  and  several  houses  built  where  it  stood. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1816,  a  society  of  young  women 
was  formed  in  Byberry,  the  object  of  which  was  to  af- 
ford relief  to  the  poor.  They  held  meetings  in  order  to 
increase  their  funds,  and  not  only  made  contributions 
themselves,  but  solicited  them  from  others.  Various  ar- 
ticles of  clothing  were  made  up  and  distributed  among 


DUDLEY    HOMESTEAD. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  20/ 

the  needy,  and  did  much  toward  alleviating  the  sufferings 
of  the  poor. 

In  1817  the  corn  was  much  injured  by  the  grub- worm, 
so  that  it  did  not  yield  more  than  half  a  crop.  Prices 
that  year  ranged  as  follows:  wheat,  per  bushel,  $1.87; 
rye,  80  cents;  buckwheat,  55  cents;  corn,  75  cents;  oats, 
35  cents;  flaxseed,  $1.90;  cloverseed,  $12;  potatoes,  50 
cents;  butter,  31  cents;  apples,  60  cents;  and  eggs,  20 
cents. 

July  21,  1 81 7,  was  remarkable  for  the  violent  storm  of 
wind  and  rain  which  occurred,  when  a  large  number  of 
trees  were  uprooted  or  twisted  off,  fences  were  blown 
down,  the  corn  much  injured,  and  the  fruit  blown  off  the 
trees.  Several  days  in  the  beginning  of  May,  this  year, 
were  observed  to  be  very  smoky,  but  the  cause  was  not 
known.  Previous  to  1840,  militia  trainings  were  very 
common  in  the  townships,  on  which  occasions  many  of 
the  inhabitants  "turned  out  and  drilled,"  to  obviate  the 
necessity  of  paying  militia  fines.  On  the  13th  of  May, 
:8i6,  about  fifty  persons  assembled  for  this  purpose,  and 
elected  Seneca  Hibbs  as  their  captain.  At  such  times  con- 
siderable liquor  was  drunk,  and,  when,  under  its  influ- 
ence, quarrels  were  of  frequent  occurrence. 

The  majority  of  the  people  were  never  much  in  favor  of 
^'training  days,"  and  toward  the  last  of  them  the  greatest 
^'ignoramuses"  in  the  neighborhood  were  usually  elected 
captains,  brigade  inspectors,  etc. ;  and  their  actions  while 
in  office  caused  no  little  merriment  to  the  lovers  of  fun. 
Isaac  Comly  remarks  that  "many  of  the  old  residents  re- 
collect the  achievements  of  Colonel  Gallagher.  On  one 
occasion  at  Milford,  Bucks  County,  the  Colonel  was  rig- 


208  THE  HISTORY  OF 

ged  out  in  a  cocked  hat,  military  coat,  and  a  sword  four 
feet  long,  made  of  an  old  sc3^the.  He  rode  Giles  Knight's 
jackass,  and  the  sword  dragged  on  the  ground.  The 
jackass  would  not  go  across  the  bridge  over  the  Nesham- 
iny,  so  the  fellows  carried  the  Colonel,  jackass  and  all 
over,  much  to  the  merriment  of  those  present.  Some  ob- 
jections were  made  to  the  Colonel's  eating  dinner  with 
the  other  officers,  but  his  company  pushed  him  on  and  he 
went  through.  This  was  the  last  training  in  this  sec- 
tion." 

The  summer  of  1816  was  remarkably  cool,  and,  from 
some  notes  made  at  the  time,  we  find  a  frost  occurred 
]\Iay  1 6th,  so  as  to  kill  the  garden  vegetables,  corn,  etc.; 
and,  on  June  nth,  frost  was  noticed  in  the  low  places 
generally.  During  the  same  year  the  crops  were  below 
the  average  yield,  and  one  of  the  poets  of  the  day  noted 
the  fact  in  the  following  lines : 

"The  grass  tho'  short  the  laborer's  mowing; 
The  corn  is  small,  but  fast  is  growing; 
The  winter  was  hard  upon  our  rye ; 
The  wheat's  much  injured  by  the  fly; 
Now  and  then  we  have  a  storm, 
A  few  days  cold,  and  then  it's  warm." 

In  1819  land  sold  at  least  $30  per  acre  lower  than  it  had 
done  in  18 14,  and  many  who  were  forced  to  sell  were  en- 
tirely ruined.  During  the  winter  which  followed,  the 
laboring  men  found  but  little  to  do,  and  several  were 
hard  beset  to  get  along.  The  association  of  ladies  was  very 
active,  and  the  sufferings  much  mitigated.  The  poor  in 
other  places  were  much  pinched,  and  we  find  many  went 
round  with  briefs  to  collect  money.  One  of  these  was 
to  enable  John  Brooks  to  build  a  house ;  another  to  enable 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  209 

Thomas  Ridge  to  ^o  to  Ohio.  A  Dutch  woman  from 
Frankford  went  around  to  collect  money  for  the  same 
purpose,  and  when  questioned  as  to  why  she  came  to  By- 
berry,  she  said  she  was  advised  to  "because  it  was  con- 
sidered a  good  place."  Emigrating  to  Ohio  became  very 
fashionable,  and  several  families  left  their  native  place; 
among  these  were  Isaac  Tomlinson,  William  Plumley, 
Griffith  Street,  John  Adams,  and  Joseph  Croasdale,  Jr. 

Some  time  during  the  latter  part  of  this  summer  a  bal- 
loon passed  over  a  portion  of  Moreland;  and  as  things 
of  this  kind  were  rather  uncommon,  people  speculated 
upon  the  cause.  Some  were  at  a  loss  to  conceive  what  it 
could  be ;  but  others  saw  in  it  the  resemblance  of  a  cow, 
which  had  in  some  supernatural  manner  been  provided 
with  wings,  and  was  then  journeying  over  the  country  in 
order  to  see  the  fine  farms  and  happy  people  around  Phil- 
adelphia. 

The  collection  of  the  tax  assessed  upon  the  people  for 
military  purposes  has  always  been  a  matter  attended  with 
serious  trouble  in  the  townships.  Most  of  the  inhabitants 
are  Friends,  and  their  principles  would  not  permit  them 
to  pay  money  for  such  purposes.  In  many  places  the  col- 
lectors did  nothing  more  than  ask  for  the  tax;  while  in 
others  they  adopted  every  means  in  their  power  for  ob- 
taining it.  Sometimes  they  seized  upon  such  property  as 
they  could  find,  such  as  carriages,  harness,  grindstones, 
horses,  cows,  hogs,  etc. ;  all  of  which  were  sold  at  public 
sale,  after  which  the  overplus  was  returned  to  the 
several  owners.  Those  who  refused  to  pay  were  often 
taken  to  jail,  where  they  were  sometimes  kept  for  several 
14 


2IO  THE  HISTORY  OF 

days,  and  until  they  or  their  friends  paid  the  amounts  as- 
sessed to  them. 

The  summer  of  iSi8  was  very  sickly,  and  many  per- 
sons died.  Help  was  very  scarce,  so  that  the  neighbors 
had  to  assist  each  other.  Joseph  Comly  was  sick  nearly 
all  summer,  and  as  he  was  unable  to  attend  to  his  farm, 
the  neighbors  assisted  him.  On  one  occasion  they  as- 
sembled to  the  number  of  thirty-live,  and  cut  down  thirty 
acres  of  grass  and  grain  for  him  in  one  day.  During  this 
year  John  Black  kept  a  hotel  at  Smithfield ;  and  we  find 
that  he  brought  a  suit  against  several  individuals,  to  re- 
cover twelve  and  a  half  cents  for  liquor  furnished  them 
by  way  of  treat  at  the  militia  muster.  He  obtained  judg- 
anent  in  his  favor,  and  they  had  the  debt  to  pay  as  well 
as  the  costs.  This  year  Conrad  Snyder,  from  Bensalem, 
was  through  Byberry  collecting  money  to  pay  a  doctor's 
bill  I    Lucky  doctor ! 

August  29,  1818,  we  find  it  stated  that  Elizabeth  Bar- 
ton was  at  Byberry  Meeting,  and  preached  on  the  subject 
of  ''The  sun's  softening  wax  and  hardening  clay." 

Some  of  the  geniuses  of  the  township  are  spoken  of 
as  trying  their  skill  at  invention  during  this  year.  Their 
thoughts  were  influenced  by  the  ambitious  desires  of  Ful- 
ton and  others;  and  Benjamin  Willard,  of  Mechanicsville, 
spent  some  time  in  making  a  wagon  to  go  by  steam ;  but, 
unfortunately  for  the  reputation  of  the  village  and  the 
purse  of  Willard,  the  wagon  did  not  go. 

There  is  still  in  use  in  Byberry  a  pair  of  cart  wheels, 
the  hubs  of  which  were  part  of  a  wagon  belonging  to 
William  Walmsley,  great-grandfather  to  Silas  Walmsley. 
The  wagon  was  taken  to  carry  stores  to  the  English  army 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  211 

-engaged  in  the  French  and  Indian  War  in  1759.  The 
following  occurs  in  William  Walmsley's  account  book: 
''Ye  30th  day  of  ye  6th  month,  June,  1759,  John  Van- 
horn  and  Thomas  Webb  pressed  my  wagon,  and  took  it 
•away  to  carry  military  stores  to  Ohio,  and  brought  the 
wagon  back  ye  29th  of  ye  9th  month,  1759."  These  hubs 
^*are  made  of  quartered  white  oak,  and  are  the  last  of  the 
military  matters  of  those  days.  Could  these  hubs  speak 
to  their  felloes,  what  feats  of  arms  and  deeds  of  valor 
done  in  olden  time  would  they  portray  !"^^ 

After  the  Revolutionary  War  wild  animals  became  very 
scarce,  and  panthers,  wolves,  or  wildcats  were  seldom 
seen.  A  panther  was  shot  in  Moreland  about  the  year 
1790.  Some  wild  turkeys  were  seen  there  in  1792,  and 
in  1835  William  Webster  shot  a  wild-cat  near  the  Bristol 
turnpike.  Game,  such  as  partridges,  pheasants,  rabbits, 
squirrels,  etc.,  were  plenty  until  within  a  few  years;  but 
as  their  haunts  have  been  destroyed,  they  have  gradually 
•decreased  in  number  until  but  few  are  now  found. 

Exciting  accounts  of  some  wild  animals  have  from 
time  to  time  been  circulated,  and  a  few  of  the  timid  ones 
liave  been  so  frightened  that  they  could  not  be  induced 
to  expose  themselves  to  the  danger  after  nightfall.  Al- 
though the  tracks  of  bears,  panthers,  otters,  beavers,  etc., 
are  said  to  have  been  seen,  yet  none  of  these  animals  have 
been  captured. 

In  the  year  1853,  a  company  of  Chippewa  Indians,  con- 
sisting of  a  chief,  his  squaw,  and  two  sons,  visited  By- 

^'^  These  hubs  were  branded  B.  A.  (British  Army).  They  have  been 
used  for  fuel.  An  old  horse  branded  C.  A.  (Continental  Army) 
was  still  to  be  found  in  Byberry  in  1800. 


212  THE  HISTORY  OF 

berry  and  encamped  in  Morton  Walmsley's  woods,  where 
they  remained  nearly  the  whole  summer.  In  order  to 
raise  money  they  gave  several  entertainments  in  Byberry 
Hall,  which  were  well  attended,  and  furnished  them  with 
as  much  as  sufficed  for  their  wants.  They  roamed  through 
the  fields  and  woods,  but  were  very  civil,  not  molesting 
anybody. 

The  Independent  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company  was 
chartered  in  1843.  This  is  not  confined  to  the  townships 
alone,  but  extends  over  a  portion  of  Bucks,  Montgomery, 
and  Philadelphia  Counties.  The  first  meeting  respecting 
the  company  was  held  at  Somerton  in  1842;  and  at  the 
next  session  of  the  Legislature  a  charter  was  obtained. 
Franklin  Comly,  Esq.,  was  the  President  of  the  Company 
until  his  death  in  i860;  since  that  time  John  Smith,  Esq., 
of  Huntington  Valley,  has  been  its  presiding  officer.  Wat- 
son Comly,  Esq.,^^  has  always  been  its  secretary.  It  com- 
menced with  an  insurance  of  $200,000,  but  the  amount 
now  insured  is  over  $2,800,000,  and  is  steadily  increasing. 
Nearly  all  the  property  in  both  townships  is  insured  in 
this  company.  The  losses  by  fire  are  paid  by  assessments 
upon  the  property  insured. 

We  have  now  traced  all  the  more  important  events  of 
the  townships  from  their  earliest  settlement  down  to  the 
present  time.  In  the  first  part  of  the  history  we  have 
probably  collected  nearly  all  events  of  interest  that  have 
escaped  the  ravages  of  time;  but  during  the  last  few- 
years  various  things  have  transpired  which  we  have  not 
noticed,  although  they  would  be  interesting  to  many  per- 
sons.    It  is,  however,  probable,  that  few,  if  any,  in  che 

"Thomas  Shallcross  is  now  secretary. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  213 

townships  have  preserved  an  account  of  the  events  of  the 
last  twenty  years — a  matter  particularly  to  be  regretted, 
as  Isaac  Comly  faithfully  chronicled  all  events  of  interest 
from  about  the  year  1790,  until  his  death,  in  1847,  ^^^  ^ 
portion  of  this  history  has  been  obtained  from  such  ac- 
counts as  he  from  time  to  time  published. 

TOPOGRAPHY,  GEOLOGY,  ETC. 

The  surface  of  Byberry  has  a  general  slope  to  the  south, 
the  most  northern  part  being  sufficiently  elevated  to  afford 
a  good  view  of  the  greater  part  of  the  township  and  of 
the  country  lying  on  both  sides  of  the  Delaware  River. 
All  the  larger  streams  take  their  rise  in  this  locality,  and 
flow  in  a  general  southerly  direction.  Just  above  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  township  the  Poquessing,®^  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  and  interesting  streams  in  the  vicin- 
ity, takes  its  rise ;  and,  as  it  flows  onward  through  a  roll- 
ing country,  forms  the  entire  eastern  boundary.  It  has 
several  small  tributaries  from  Byberry,  the  most  import- 
ant of  which  is  Bloody  Run,  which  empties  into  it  above 
Carter's  Mill,  Black  Lake  Creek  at  Mechanicsville,  and 
Gilbert's  Run,  about  a  mile  below.  It  passes  through  a 
beautiful  district,  well  suited  to  agricultural  purposes, 
the  country  being  moderately  rolling,  and  the  soil  fertile. 
Its  banks,  for  the  most  part,  are  skirted  with  timber,  and 
but  few  dwellings  of  any  description  are  near  it.  Much 
of  the  scenery  along  its  course  is  picturesque,  and  it  af- 
fords considerable  matter  of  interest  to  the  traveler.  From 

'*  This  word,  often  written  Poquesink,  is  of  Indian  origin.  Accord- 
ing to  Heckewelder,  it  signifies  a  mouse  or  the  place  abounding 
in  mice. 


214  ^^^  HISTORY  OF 

its  source  to  its  mouth,  a  distance  of  about  twelve  miles, 
there  are  no  fewer  than  eight  mill-dams,  which  furnish 
water-power  to  as  many  mills.  This  can  be  said  of  but 
few  streams  in  this  vicinity.  Of  these  mills  five  (one 
saw-mill  and  four  grist-mills)  are  in  Byberry,  and  are  all 
on  the  western  bank  of  the  creek. 

The  Byberry  Creek,  the  next  stream  of  importance,, 
rises  in  the  "timber  swamp,"  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
township,  a  little  to  the  southwest  of  Somerton,  and  flows 
through  the  middle  of  the  township,  receiving  several 
small  tributaries  in  its  course.  One  of  these — Ellwood's 
Run — comes  from  Silas  Tomlinson's  land,  and  unites 
with  the  main  stream,  or  Wilson's  Run,  on  Horace 
Smith's  farm ;  while  the  only  other  one  of  moment  rises 
in  Moreland,  flows  a  southeasterly  course,  and  empties  in- 
to the  main  stream  on  Nathaniel  Richardson's  farm.  Soon 
after  receiving  this  stream  the  main  creek  is  turned  to 
the  southwest,  around  the  base  of  a  range  of  hills,  form- 
ing part  of  the  western  boundary,  and  finally  conies  back 
on  the  south  side  of  the  same  range,  meeting  w4th  the 
Poquessing  at  the  extreme  southern  end  of  the  townships 
about  one  mile  from  where  it  empties  into  the  Delaware. 
This  stream  has  but  one  mill  on  it — Charles  Comly's — 
near  the  centre  of  Byberry.  By  these  streams  and  their 
tributaries  the  whole  of  Byberry  is  drained. 

The  surface  of  the  country  is  generally  level,  exicept 
along  the  eastern  boundary  and  in  the  southern  part, 
where  a  few  moderate  elevations  are  found ;  yet  these  are 
so  limited  that  no  part  of  the  surface  can  be  said  to  be 
hilly  or  rough.  The  geological  features,  therefore,  pre- 
sent nothing  striking;  and,  so  far  as  I  have  examined 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  215 

them,  but  little  worth  inserting  in  sketches  like  these.  In 
the  northern  part  the  soil  is  a  little  sandy  and  mixed  with 
mica,  and  contains  some  of  the  common  garnet,  though 
the  specimens  are  usually  small.  This  is  underlaid  with 
rocks  of  mica  slate,  which  seems  to  be  the  most  con)nion 
formation  in  the  northern  part  of  the  township,  and  from 
the  amount  of  garnet  found  in  it  might  be  denominated 
garnetiferous  mica  slate.  This  is  well  shown  along  the 
course  of  the  Poquesssing.  Nearer  the  middle  of  the 
township  the  gneiss  formation  is  generally  found,  com- 
posed of  quartz,  feldspar  and  mica,  and  underlying  the 
whole  surface.  These  ingredients  are  blended  in  different 
proportions,  and  along  with  them  hornblende  and  talc 
occasionally  occur.  Along  Black  Lake  Run  hornblende 
is  found  mixed  with  the  gneiss ;  and  in  the  same  vicinity 
I  found  some  specimens  of  that  mineral,  where  talc  had 
taken  the  place  of  the  mica,  forming  a  rock  called  proto- 
gine.  Soapstone,  or  talc,  is  also  found  on  farms  belonging 
to  Jonathan  Leedom  and  William  Carter,^^  near  Somer- 
ton.  On  the  farm  belonging  to  Silas  Vanarsdalen,^®  two 
or  three  rocks,  weighing,  several  tons  each,  have  i>een 
found,  presenting  very  much  the  appearance  of  Edge  Hill 
stone.  These  are  gneiss,  containing  more  than  the  usual 
quantity  of  feldspar,  blended  with  the  quartz  and  mica; 
the  latter  in  very  small  quantities,  giving  to  it  the  appear- 
ance of  Edge  Hill  stone,  which  is  a  mixture  of  feldspar 
and  quartz  intimately  interfused.     From  its  spotted  ap- 

*^  This  property,  once  belonging  to  Jonathan  Leedom,  now  belongs 
to  Henry  Roberts,  and  that  belonging  to  William  Carter  now  belongs 
to  Benjamin   Carter. 

""This  property  is  now  owned  by  Albert  Buckman. 


2l6  THE  HISTORY  OF 

pearance  it  has  been  denominated  porphyritic  gneiss.  It 
also  contains  a  little  tourmaline  or  schorl.  Professor 
Rogers,  in  his  report  on  the  geology  of  Pennsylvania, 
remarks  "that  where  the  feldspar  is  the  predominating 
mineral,  it  exhibits  a  remarkable  tendency  to  pass  to  the 
condition  of  kaolin  by  decomposition."  Specimens  of  this 
last-mentioned  mineral  occur  on  the  road  leading  from 
Mechanicsville  to  Gordon's  Mill,  just  below  Thomas 
James'^^  house,  only  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  rocks 
on  Vanarsdalen's  farm,  and  probably  have  been  formed 
by  such  decomposition.  The  kaolin  is  in  small  quantities, 
and  too  impure  to  be  of  any  value  for  manufacturing 
purposes.  In  some  localities,  particularly  along  the  P(;- 
quessing,  where  this  formation  is  exposed,  the  laminated 
structure  is  somewhat  remarkable  for  its  tortuosities  and 
irregularities;  but  in  others  it  is  very  regular  in  its  ar- 
rangement, and  affords  excellent  material  for  building 
and  other  purposes.  On  Silas  Tomlinson's^^  farm  there 
is  a  quarry  of  hornblende,  which  furnishes  excellent  stone 
for  turnpikes.  The  mineral  has  also  been  found  in  several 
other  places  in  the  townships. 

Along  the  Poquessing,  about  half  a  mile  below  Me- 
chanicsville, on  the  Bensalem  side  of  the  stream,  there  is 
a  projection  or  mound  about  twenty-five  feet  high,  and 
covering  near  a  half  acre  of  surface.  It  is  composed  of 
gneiss,  the  feldspar  of  which  has  mostly  changed  into 
kaolin,  and  contains  here  and  there  a  few  crystals  of 
schorl.    This  mass  has  the  appearance  of  having  at  some 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  the  heirs  of  Thomas  James. 

"  This  property  now  belongs  to  Edward  Shallcross.  The  rock  is 
a  combination  of  hornblende  and  quartz  known  as  homblendeschist. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  217 

former  time  been  united  with  the  rocks  on  the  Byberry 
side,  its  composition  and  general  appearance  being  similar 
to  them.  It  is,  therefore,  not  improbable,  but  that  the 
Poquessing  may  once  have  passed  around  to  the  east  of  it, 
and  that  the  projection  was  undermined  by  the  action  of 
the  water,  and  fell  into  the  valley  where  it  now  lies,  and 
that  the  stream  has  formed  a  passage  between  it  and  the 
rocks  to  which  it  was  attached.  This  change  probably 
occurred  many  years  since,  as  the  mound  is  now  covered 
with  earth,  in  many  places  four  feet  deep,  in  which  the 
remains  of  large  trees  may  still  be  seen. 

In  the  meadow  lately  owned  by  George  Weiss,  there 
are  two  large  masses  of  rocks,  composed  of  asbestiform 
actinolite,  in  which  impressions  similar  to  those  made  by 
a  man's  foot  appear.  A  similar  print  has  been  observed 
in  a  rock  near  the  mouth  of  the  Poquessing,  which  has 
given  rise  to  the  belief  by  the  superstitious  "that  they  were 
made  by  the  Devil  when  he  leaped  over  the  Delaware  into 
the  Jerseys."<5^ 

Bog  iron  ore  occurs  in  several  places  in  the  northern 
end  of  the  township;  sulphuret  of  iron  in  small  crystals 
also  is  found,  intermingled  with  other  minerals.  Some 
very  pure  specimens  of  black  mica  occur  along  the  Poques- 
sing in  several  localities,  but  they  are  usually  small.  A  few 
specimens  of  green  quartz,  or  prase,  probably  colored  by 
actinolite,  have  been  found  in  the  vicinity.  On  Nathaniel 
Richardson's  farm  some  specimens  containing  sulphate 
of  copper  have  also  been  found. 

^  The  first  of  these  rocks  is  on  the  property  now  belonging  to  Ed- 
ward Shallcross.  The  rock  is  not  of  the  proper  nature  to  possess 
fossil  footprints.  The  phenomenon  is  merely  a  freak  of  nature, 
produced  through  the  process  of  rock  disintegration  and  erosion. 


2l8 


THE   HISTORY  OF 


A  peculiarity  in  the  water-courses  exists  which  de- 
serves to  be  mentioned.  They  are  all  found  to  the  western 
side  of  the  valleys  through  which  they  flow,  and,  conse- 
quently, that  bank  is  generally  skirted  with  hills  made 
up  of  the  gneiss  or  mica  slate.  From  this  circumstance 
it  is  rare  to  find  a  good  quarry  on  the  eastern  banks  of  any 
of  the  streams. 

The  lower  end  of  Moreland  generally  slopes  to  the 
south,  being  drained  by  the  tributaries  of  Byberry  Creek. 
The  soil  in  that  section  is  generally  argillaceous,  and  only 
moderately  fertile.  The  prevailing  formation  there  is 
micaceous,  yet  few  quarries  are  found.  In  the  northern 
part  the  land  slopes  to  the  west,  the  surface  being  suffici- 
ently rolling  to  carry  off  the  waste  water.  The  soil  here 
is  either  a  sandy  or  gravelly  loam,  except  that  part  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  "timber  swamp/'  which  is  argillaceous. 
A  small  stream  rises  in  this  swamp,  and  drains  the  clay 
bottom  in  the  vicinity ;  while  to  the  north  another  stream 
rises  in  the  rolling  ground.  After  flowing  about  a  mile 
across  the  township  in  a  westerly  direction,  they  unite 
and  form  a  pleasant  little  stream  which  finds  its  way  to 
the  Pennypack,  near  Verreeville.  Some  quarries  have 
been  opened  along  this  stream,  from  which  excellent  build- 
ing stone  is  obtained.  The  geology,  etc.,  of  Moreland,  is 
similar  to  that  of  Byberry,  and  affords  but  little  interest 
to  the  general  reader.*^^ 

'"Byberry  and  Moreland  are  within  the  belt  of  the  Philadelphia  mica 
schists  and,  being  thus  located,  they  possess  all  the  common  minerals 
found  in  that  belt  Aside  from  building  stone,  it  possesses  no 
valuable  deposits. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  219 

VILLAGES,  ETC. 

Babylon,  about  half  a  mile  southeast  of  the  Byberry 
Meeting-house,  is  a  scattered  village  lying  on  both  sides 
of  the  road,  and  containing  eight  dwelling-houses,  besides 
a  few  other  buildings.  The  late  Thomas  Gilbert  was  the 
first  settler  in  the  place. 

Black  Lake  is  a  small  stream,  one  branch  of  which  rises 
on  John  Carver's  place  and  the  other  on  James  Thorn- 
ton's,"^^ and,  after  flawing  nearly  a  mile,  unite  on  land  be- 
longing to  Charles  Martindale.  It  then  flows  a  winding 
southeasterly  course  for  another  mile,  and  empties  into 
the  Poquessing  at  Mechanicsville.  The  water  in  this 
stream  has  a  very  dark  appearance,  and  is  probably  colorr 
ed  by  vegetable  matter  along  its  course.  This  will  ac- 
count for  the  name  of  "Black,"  but  why  called  "Lake" 
is  not  known.  The  name,  however,  has  been  used  from 
time  immemorial,  and  we  are  not  disposed  to  change  it. 
There  is  a  tradition  that  stonecoal  was  found  along  this 
stream  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Charles  Martindale, 
before  the  Revolutionary  War,  but  no  evidence  of  it  has 
since  occurred. 

Byberry  Point,  in  the  western  part  of  Moreland,  is  at 
the  junction  of  the  Bustleton  and  Byberry  turnpike  roads, 
about  three- fourths  of  a  mile  from  the  former  place.  There 
is  but  one  house  here. 

Byberry  Cross-roads  is  where  the  Southampton  road 
crosses  the  Byberry  and  Bensalem  turnpike,  about  one 
mile  north  of  Byberry  Meeeting-house.  A  tavern  was 
formerly  kept  here  with  the  sign  of  the  "Three  Tuns,"" 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Jesse  Tomlinson. 


220  THE  HISTORY  OF 

but  was  afterwards  converted  into  a  store,  which  was  kept 
by  different  persons  until  within  a  few  years.  At  one 
time  several  mechanics  were  located  here,  and  the  place 
was  called  *Tlumbsock;"  but  these  have  all  disappeared, 
and  the  place  is  now  known  as  Byberry  Cross-roads. 

Carte/ s  Mill  is  on  the  Poquessing,  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  township.  It  was  built  by  the  late  James  Carter. 
Several  houses  are  in  the  vicinity.  A  saw  and  grist-mill 
are  in  operation  here,  both  doing  a  good  business. 

Amos  Knight's  Corner  is  on  the  Byberry  and  Holmes- 
burg  road,  one  mile  southwest  of  the  Meeting-house.  It 
was  named  after  its  late  proprietor,  Amos  Knight,  who 
lived  here  many  years,  and  was  noted  for  his  eccentrici- 
ties. 

Ellwood's  Run  is  a  small  stream  emptying  into  By- 
berry Creek  on  Morris  Penrose's  place.  Its  source  is  on 
land  owned  by  Silas  Tomlinson,  about  one  mile  from  its 
mouth.  It  was  named  after  Thomas  Ellwood,  who  for 
many  years  lived  in  a  small  tenement  near  it. 

Gingerbread  Field  is  west  of  Knight's  Mill,  near  the 
Poquessing,  on  a  part  of  the  original  Ellis's  tract  of  five 
hundred  acres.  On  this  Ellis  had  his  habitation;  and  in 
the  garden  attached  both  he  and  his  wife  were  buried. 
The  graves  were  for  a  long  time  inclosed  by  a  fence,  i)Ut 
now  no  vestige  of  them  remains. 

Kaintuck,  composed  chiefly  of  meadow-land,  is  situated 
in  the  northern  part  of  Byberry,  near  the  foot  of  Edge 
Hill,  and  extends  along  the  west  branch  of  the  Poques- 
sing Creek  for  half  a  mile. 

Knight's  Mill  is  on  the  Byberry  and  Andalusia  turn- 
pike, in  the  southern  part  of  Byberry.    It  is  on  the  Po- 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  221 

quessing,  and  was  erected  about  1770,  by  Jonathan 
Knight,  gentleman;  it  was  rebuilt  in  181 5.  There  are 
five  or  six  dwelling-houses  near  by,  also  a  county  bridge 
over  the  Poquessing. 

Kmghtsville  is  situate  on  the  Byberry  and  Bensalem 
turnpike  road,  where  the  Moreland  road^^  crosses  it,  near 
the  thirteenth  mile-stone.  It  is  a  village  containing  six 
dwelling-houses  and  some  other  buildings.  It  was  named 
in  honor  of  Leonard  Knight,  Esq.,  and  Jonathan  Knight, 
Judge,  who  for  many  years  resided  here.  A  school  w^as 
formerly  kept  at  this  place. 

Minktozvn,  a  village  of  two  houses,  is  situate  on  the 
Poquessing,  near  Townsend's  mill-dam.  The  house  was 
built  here  over  seventy  years  ago,  by  Benjamin  Adams, 
weaver,  and  contained  but  two  rooms,  in  which  was 
brought  up  a  large  family  of  children.  It  derived  its 
name  from  the  number  of  minks  found  here  a  few  years 
since.  Opposite  to  this  place  is  the  burying-ground  for 
colored  people. 

Pleasantville,  on  the  county  line,  about  one  mile  east 
of  Somerton,  is  a  village  of  ten  or  tw^elve  houses.  It  was 
formerly  noted  for  the  store  kept  there  by  Edward  Worth- 
ington,  and  was  then  called  Tortleburg,  or,  more  politely, 
Terrapintown.  These  names  have  of  late  been  discarded, 
and  from  its  being  a  pleasant  place  is  now  called  Pleasant- 
ville. 

Perth  is  a  small  village  near  Bloody  Run,  on  the  road 
leading  from  Somerton  to  the  county  line.  It  has  become 
noted  for  being  the  place  where  Hart  was  attacked  and 

"This  road  is  now  called  the  Red  Lion  Road. 


:222  THE  HISTORY  OF 

seriously  injured,  for  which  the  Mansons  were  tried  and 
acquitted. 

Ridge's  MilP'^  is  on  the  Poquessing,  near  the  north 
-corner  of  Byberry.  It  has  a  long  mill-race,  but  no  dam, 
yet  considerable  business  is  done  here. 

Tozvnsend's  Mill,  on  the  Poquessing,  one  mile  northeast 
of  Byberry  Meeting-house,  was  built  in  1767,  and  re- 
mained in  the  Townsend  family  from  its  erection  until 
within  ten  or  twelve  years.  It  is  a  valuable  property,  and 
capable  of  grinding  15,000  bushels  per  year.  There  are 
several  dwellings  and  a  smith  and  wheelwright  shop  near 
it.  During  the  exciting  presidential  canvass  of  1844  it 
was  called  "Coonville,"  on  account  of  the  emblematic  rac- 
coons kept  there  in  connection  with  the  cause  of  Henry 
Clay,  and  has  since  frequently  gone  by  that  name. 

Timber  Swamp.  This  is  a  large  tract  of  woodland 
reaching  from  the  west  corner  of  Byberry  near  Andrew 
Ervein's,  northeast  along  the  Moreland  line  almost  to  the 
Somerton  road.  This  was  formerly  one  vast  tract  of 
woodland,  the  largest  in  the  vicinity,  and  was  a  noted 
hunting  ground.  Raccoons,  opossums,  squirrels,  and 
birds  were  found  there  in  abundance,  and  even  bears  were 
sometimes  seen.  The  last  Bruin  found  there  was  in  1780, 
and  was  shot  by  Jersey  Billy  Walton.  It  was  formerly  a 
great  place  for  ghosts,  etc.,  and  many  marvellous  tales 
have  been  narrated  as  occurring  in  the  "timber  swamp.'* 
Much  of  the  timber  has  been  cleared  off  within  a  few 
years,  and  its  limits  thereby  greatly  contracted. 

Powelltown,  at  the  junction  of  the  Moreland  and  the 
Holmesburg  roads,  is  a  village  of  five  or  six  dwelling- 

^"This  mill  is  now  owned  by  John  Wynkoop. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  223 

liouses,  a  school-house  and  some  other  buildings.  The 
school-house  is  a  new  building,  and  an  ornament  to  the 
place.  This  village  is  named  after  a  family  of  Powells, 
who  resided  there  for  many  years. 

Comly's  Mill  is  the  only  one  on  the  Byberry  Creek,  and 
is  near  the  centre  of  Byberry,  about  one  mile  south  of  the 
Meeting-house.  This  stream  not  furnishing  sufficient 
water-power,  the  enterprising  proprietor,  Charles  R 
Comly,  introduced  steam,  and  the  mill  is  now  run  by  it 
instead  of  water,  and  does  an  extensive  business.  A  few 
houses  have  been  built  near  by,  mostly  by  Robert  Phillips, 
the  former  owner,  giving  the  place  the  appearance  of  a 
village. 

Somerton,  the  largest  village  in  the  township,  is  situ- 
ated on  the  Bustleton  and  Somerton  turnpike  road,  about 
three  miles  from  the  former  place,  and  thirteen  from 
Philadelphia.  It  is  partly  in  Moreland  and  partly  in  By- 
l^erry,  and  extends  a  quarter  of  a  mile  along  the  turn- 
pike. A  public  school-house  and  a  Methodist  church  have, 
Avithin  a  few  years,  been  erected  here.  Besides  these,  the 
])lace  contains  three  hotels,  two  shoemakers,  one  saddle 
and  harnessmaker,  two  stores,  one  wheelwright,  one 
Tjlacksmith,  one  undertaker,  two  carpenters,  one  tailor, 
and  one  doctor.  It  contains  about  thirty-five  dwelling- 
liouses,  and  a  population  numbering  about  one  hundred 
and  eighty  persons.  A  post-office  has  been  established 
here,  and  is  connected  with  Philadelphia  by  a  daily  mail. 
A  little  to  the  east  of  the  village  is  the  William  Penn 
Cemetery.  "^^ 

^*  This  village  is  named  in  honor  of  Judge  Sommer  who  dwelt  on 
the  property  now  occupied  by  Enoch  Taylor.     It  was  previously 


224  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Byberry  Store,  now  owned  by  Ross  M.  Knight,  is  the 
chief  emporium  of  Byberry,  and  is  near  the  centre  of  the 
township.  A  post-office  was  estabhshed  here  in  1832,  and 
it  is  now  in  daily  communication,  by  mail,  with  Philadel- 
phia. Near  by  is  Friends'  Meeting-house,  in  which  many 
important  events  of  bygone  times  have  transpired,  and 
around  which  much  that  is  dear  to  every  native  of  By- 
berry still  lingers.  Byberry  Hall  and  the  Cabinet  of 
Natural  Curiosities  belonging  to  the  Byberry  Philosophi- 
cal Society  are  here ;  and  the  old  school,  established  more 
than  a  century  ago,  and  which  for  a  long  time  was  the 
only  one  in  the  township,  is  still  kept  open  for  the  educa- 
tion of  the  youth.  A  tailor  and  a  shoemaker  shop  are 
near  at  hand ;  and  two  or  three  dwelling-houses  also  help 
to  give  importance  to  the  place.  It  is  now  as  it  has  been 
ever  since  the  first  settlement,  the  centre  of  attraction  in 
Byberry.  "^^ 

Mechanicsville,  next  to  Somerton  in  point  of  size,  is 
situate  on  the  Poquessing,  where  Black  Lake  Creek 
empties  into  it.  It  was  named  from  the  number  of  me- 
chanics settled  there,  and  is  a  place  of  considerable 
importance.  It  contains  about  twenty  dwelling-houses 
and  several  other  buildings,  which  are  scattered  on  both 
sides  of  the  valley  through  which  Black  Lake  flows ;  and 

called  Smithfield,  but  assumed  its  present  name  at  the  beginning- 
of  the  nineteenth  century. 

"This  store  is  now  owned  by  Lewis  Hall.  It  has  always,  like  other 
country  stores,  been  a  great  meeting  place  in  the  evenings  for  the 
neighbors.  During  the  early  settlement,  before  taverns  were  estab- 
lished, alcohol  could  be  obtained  here.  It  is  said  that  school  boys 
could  buy  a  qunrt  of  whiskey  and  pass  the  measure  around  and 
thus  empty  it.  The  customers  about  this  time  learned  not  to  ask 
for  the  spirits  directly  but  "The  same  as  I  got  last  time." 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  225 

it  numbers  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  persons  in  popula- 
tion. In  it  the  traders  are  well  represented,  as  carpen- 
ters, masons,  storekeepers,  machinists,  butchers,  wheel- 
wrights, saddlers  and  harnessmakers,  scriveners,  and 
farmers  are  found  within  its  limits.  A  mill  for  sawing 
lumber  and  grinding  feed,  and  a  public  school,  are  in  suc- 
cessful operation  here.  Opposite  to  this  place,  on  the  Ben- 
salem  side  of  the  Poquessing,  is  Elizabethtown,  a  small 
village  containing  several  dwellings,  all  of  which  have 
been  erected  within  twelve  or  fifteen  years.  A  substantial 
county  bridge  connects  these  two  places. 


15 


226 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

JOHN   HART. 

John  Hart^  born  at  Whitney,  in  Oxfordshire,  Eng- 
land, November  i6,  1651  (O.  S.),  was  among  the  earliest 
settlers,  having  come  over  with  Penn,  in  1682.  He  pur- 
chased four  hundred  and  eighty-four  acres  of  land,  bor- 
dering on  the  Poquessing  Creek,  in  the  southern  part  of 
By  berry,  on  which  he  settled  and  spent  several  years  of 
his  life.  He  was  a  man  of  rank,  character,  and  reputa- 
tion, had  considerable  influence,  and  was  several  times 
elected  a  member  of  the  Assembly.  He  was  a  leading 
member  of  Byberry  Meeting,  and  at  one  time  considered 
a  good  preacher.  He  manifested  great  interest  in  pro- 
moting the  views  and  doctrines  of  George  Keith,  his  name 
being  attached  to  many  of  the  papers  published  by  that 
party  against  Friends ;  and  at  the  separation,  all  his  near- 
est neighbors,  and  some  of  those  more  distant,  joined  him 
in  opposing  the  principles  maintained  by  Friends.  After 
the  separation,  in  1691,  he  preached  to  a  society  of  Keith- 
ians  that  met  at  the  house  of  John  Swift,  in  Southampton ; 
but,  in  1697,  this  meeting  was  broken  up,  and  he,  along 
with  many  others,  embraced  the  principles  of  the  Baptists, 
and  was  baptized  by  Thomas  Rutter.  In  1702,  they 
joined  the  meeting  at  Pennypack,  where  Hart  became 
assistant  minister,  but  was  never  ordained.  He  was,  how- 
ever, considered  a  pious  Christian  and  a  good  preacher, 
and  continued  to  officiate  at  that  meeting,  and  at  a  Bap- 
tist Church  in  Philadelphia,  from  1707  to  1720.  He  sold 
all  his  possessions  in  Byberry  in  1705,  and  removed  to 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  22/ 

Southampton.  His  wife  was  Susannah  Rush,  by  whom 
he  had  five  children :  John,  Joseph,  Thomas,  Josiah,  and 
Mary,  who  married  into  the  Crispin,  Miles,  Paulin,  and 
Dungan  families,  and  mostly  settled  in  Lower  Dublin.^ 

JOHN  RUSH. 

John  Rush,  the  patriarch  of  the  Rush  family  in  By- 
berry,  was  the  commander  of  a  troop  of  horse  in  Crom- 
well's army.  After  the  war  was  over,  he  married  Susan- 
nah Lucas,  of  Harteen,  in  Oxfordshire,  in  1648.  In 
1660,  he  embraced  the  principles  of  the  Quakers,  and 
along  with  his  whole  family,  consisting  of  seven  children, 
and  several  grandchildren,  came  to  Pennsylvania  in  1683, 
and  settled  on  Byberry  Creek,  near  where  Reuben  Parry 
now  lives.  In  1691,  he  and  his  family  became  Keithians, 
and,  in  1697,  most  of  them  joined  the  Baptists.  He  died 
in  1699,  leaving  ten  children,  seven  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters.    His  sword  and  watch  have  been  preserved  by  his 

^Jobn  Hart  came  about  three  months  before  Penn.  His  grant 
of  1,000  acres  dates  from  the  nth  of  October,  1681.  Five  hundred 
acres  were  located  in  the  lower  part  of  Byberry  and  five  hundred 
acres  in  Warminster.  It  was  as  preacher  at  the  house  of  John 
Swift  that  he  laid  the  foundation  of  the  Southampton  Baptist 
Church.    He  died  in  1714. 

He  appears  to  have  been  a  very  influential  man.  His  name  appears 
in  many  of  the  important  Keithian  documents.  Proud  speaks  of  him 
as  "A  man  of  rank,  character  and  a  great  preacher." 

Of  the  descendants  of  John  Hart,  who  attained  distinction,  may 
be  mentioned  the  following:  Oliver  Hart,  who  studied  theology 
under  William  Tennent  of  Log  College,  Neshaminy,  and  became  a 
famous  preacher  of  South  Carolina;  Samuel  Preston  Moore,  who 
was  surgeon-general  in  the  Confederate  Army,  and  Stephen  West 
Moore,  who  was  inspector-general  of  Louisiana.  Gen.  W.  W.  H. 
Davis,  another  descendant,  has  written  a  history  and  genealogy  of 
ithis  family. 


228  THE  HISTORY  OF 

descendants ;  also,  his  family  Bible,  containing  the  names 
of  his  children,  in  his  own  handwriting.^ 

JAMES  RUSH. 

James  Rush,  son  of  John  and  Susannah  Rush,  was 
born  in  Oxfordshire,  England,  in  1678,  and  was  brought 
over  with  the  family  to  Pennsylvania,  in  1683.  He  never 
married,  but  remained  at  the  family  mansion,  where  he 
died  in  1727,  aged  forty -nine  years,  and  was  buried  in  the 
ancient  graveyard  in  the  southern  part  of  Byberry. 

WnXIAM  RUSH. 

William  Rush,  son  of  John  and  Susannah  Rush,  came 
over  with  the  family  in  1683.  He  was  married  while  in 
England;  but  his  wife,  Amelia,  died  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  same  year  of  their  arrival,  and  was  buried  at  John 
Hart's  burying-ground  on  the  Poquessing.  William  died 
in  1688. 

henry  ENGLISH. 

Henry  English,  brother-in-law  to  Giles  Knight,  came 
over  to  Byberry  some  time  previous  to  1690.  While  in 
England  he  married  Hannah  West,  in  1685,  and  with  her 
came  to  America,  and  settled  on  his  half  of  his  father's 
purchase  in  Byberry.  He  was  a  member  with  Friends, 
and  gave  one  acre  of  ground  for  the  use  of  the  meeting. 
But  little  is  known  of  him  except  that  he  lost  his  first 
wife,  and  that  he  married  Hannah,  widow  of  William 
Hibbs,  in  1 712.  In  March,  171 1,  a  year  previous  to  this 
marriage,  he  made  a  deed  of  his  property  to  his  intended 

■  The  tract  of  John  Rush  in  Byberry  was  about  five  hundred  acres. 
John  Rush  also  owned  a  tract  of  similar  size  in  Warminster.  From 
a  letter  written  by  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush  to  John  Adams,  it  appears 
that  all  but  one  of  John  Rush's  children  were  born  in  England. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  229 

Spouse,  which  expressly  stated  "that  it  was  in  considera- 
tion of  the  love,  good-will  and  affection  which  he  had  and 
<iid  bear  toward  his  loving  friend,  Hannah  Hibbs."  He 
died  about  1724,  but  probably  left  no  children. 

JOSEPH  ENGLISH. 

Joseph  English,  one  of  the  original  settlers,  came 
over  with  Penn,  in  1682,  and  settled  in  Byberry.  He, 
married  Joan,  widow  of  Henry  Comly,  of  Bucks  County, 
in  1684.  He  died  8th  mo.  loth,  1686,  and  his  wife,  loth 
mo.  20th,  1689. 

WALTER  FORREST. 

Walter  Forrest  came  over  with  Penn,  in  1682.  He 
took  up  a  large  tract  of  land  in  New  Jersey;  also,  some 
land  in  the  southern  part  of  Byberry,  bordering  on  the 
Poquessing.  On  this  little  tract  he  settled,  and  built  a 
mill  near  where  Thomas's  Mill  now  stands.  He  was  a 
member  with  Friends,  and  his  name  frequently  appears 
in  the  early  records  of  the  Society.  He  held  considerable 
property  at  the  time  of  his  death,  but  it  is  probable  that  he 
left  no  heirs,  as  none  are  mentioned  in  his  last  Will. 

ABEL  KINGSTONE. 

Abel  Kingstone,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  B'en- 
salem,  lived  near  the  present  residence  of  Joseph  Knight. 
The  earliest  account  of  him  extant  is,  that  in  1706  he  was 
appointed  one  of  the  Overseers  of  Byberry  Preparative 
Meeting.  He  was  continued  in  this  service  for  several 
years;  and,  between  171 7  and  1735,  was  repeatedly 
chosen  to  visit  Friends'  families,  in  which  service  he  gave 
great  satisfaction.    He  was  appointed  an  Elder  by  Abing- 


230  THE  HISTORY  OF 

ton  Monthly  Meeting,  in  which  capacity  he  continued 
twenty-eight  years,  and  was  the  first  person  chosen  to  this 
station  under  the  discipline.  He  is  uniformly  spoken  of 
by  his  neighbors  and  contemporaries  with  much  respect, 
and  was  considered  a  valuable  and  worthy  Friend.  He 
was  an  approved  minister  in  the  Society  for  many  years 
previous  to  his  death,  which  occurred  nth  mo.,  1747. 
He  left  several  daughters,  one  of  whom  married  John 
Cadwallader,  of  Horsham;  and  another  (Susannah)  mar- 
ried George  James,  of  Philadelphia,  in  171 7,  and  had  two 
children,  Abel  and  Elizabeth.  Abel  was  afterward  a  noted 
merchant  in  Philadelphia,  and  Elizabeth  married  Giles 
Knight  the  second,  in  1738,  and  became  owners  of  the 
Kingstone  estate  in  Bensalem. 

GEORGE  JAMES. 

George  James  was  a  tailor,  and  followed  that  business 
at  the  old  Kingstone  homestead  in  Bensalem.  He  buried 
his  first  wife,  and,  in  1738,  married  Sarah  Townsend,  of 
Long  Island.  She  was  a  widow,  and  the  mother  of 
Thomas  and  John  Townsend,  who  were  afterwards  noted 
members  of  Byberry  Meeting.  George  James  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  by  them  was  much 
respected.  His  wife  Sarah  died  about  1773,  aged  about 
83  years.    The  date  of  his  death  is  not  known. 

WILLIAM  HIBBS. 

William  Hibbs  was  among  the  early  settlers  from 
England,  and  his  land  laid  northwest  of  the  tract  belong- 
ing to  Henry  English.  He  remained  with  Friends  after 
the  Keithian  controversy,  but  seems  to  have  had  some 
difficulty  with  his  neighbors.    He  died  previous  to  171 1. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  23 1 

DUNCAN   FAMILY. 

The  Duncans  settled  north  of  Byberry,  in  Bensalem. 
They  were  noted  in  their  day  as  solid  and  exemplary 
Friends.  Among  these  were  John  Duncan,  Edmond  Dun- 
can, and  William  Duncan,  for  many  years  Clerk  of 
Byberry  Meeting.  The  last  of  the  family  was  a  "learned 
old  bachelor,"  who  died  at  an  advanced  age,  in  1808. 

JOSEPH    FOSTER. 

Joseph  Foster  was  among  the  early  inhabitants,  and 
we  find  it  stated  that  in  1731  he  purchased  of  Josiah  Ellis 
a  part  of  his  tract  in  Byberry,  and  erected  a  log  house 
thereon,  near  the  residence  of  the  late  Isaac  Comly,  where 
he  lived  several  years.  He  left  eight  sons,  from  whom 
most  of  that  name  have  descended. 

WILLIAM   homer. 

William  Homer  settled  in  Byberry  in  171 3.  He  was 
a  member  with  Friends.  He  married  Mary  Walton  in 
1729,  but  left  no  children. 

WILLIAM  BILES. 

William  Biles  came  from  England  in  1678,  and  took 
up  his  residence  in  Bucks  County.  He  had  considerable 
talents,  and  was  one  of  the  Justices  of  Upland  Courts 
until  the  division  of  the  Province  into  three  counties.  He 
was  a  man  of  integrity  and  influence,  a  valuable  minister 
of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  was  one  of  the  signers  of 
the  celebrated  testimony  of  that  Society  against  George 


232  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Keith.     He  frequently  visited  the  settlement  at  Byberry, 
and  was  identified  with  its  early  history.^ 

ABEL  JAMES. 

Abel^  son  of  George  and  Susannah  James,  and  grand- 
son of  Abel  Kingstone,  was  born  at  the  residence  of  his 
grandfather,  on  the  Poquessing  Creek,  in  1716.  He 
married  Rebecca,  daughter  of  Thomas  Chalkley,  and 
afterward  became  a  noted  merchant  of  Philadelphia.  He 
was  much  esteemed  for  his  benevolence,  and  distinguished 
himself  as  an  active  member  of  the  Friendly  Association 
for  regaining  and  preserving  peace  with  the  Indians  in 
1757- 

ANN  MOORE. 

In  1750,  Walter  Moore  and  his  wife,  Ann  Moore, 
came  from  Fairfax,  and  resided  at  Byberry  four  years. 
She  was  a  valuable  minister  among  Friends,  and  was  held 
in  high  esteem  by  all  who  knew  her.  Her  parents  lived  in 
Bucks  County,  where  she  was  brought  up  without  much, 
if  any,  education,  and  but  little  care  had  been  exercised 
over  her  in  any  way.  She  was  unfortunate  in  her  mar- 
riage, as  her  husband  was  not  only  in  indigent  circum- 
stances, but  was  intemperate.     She  appears,  however,  to 

"  William  Biles  of  Dorchester  in  Dorcet  County,  England,  arrived 
about  June  12,  1680,  with  his  wife  and  seven  children  and  settled 
on  a  tract  of  309  acres  in  Falls  Township,  Bucks  County.  This 
tract  was  granted  to  Biles  by  Sir  Edmund  Andros  and  was  probably 
Biles  Island  just  below  Trenton,  which  Biles  purchased  from  the 
Indians  for  ten  pounds  in  1680.    He  died  in  the  year  1710. 

William  Biles  quarrelled  with  Governor  Evans.  Of  the  Governor 
he  said,  "He  is  but  a  boy;  he  is  not  fit  to  be  our  Governor;  we^l 
kicjc  him  out ;  we'll  kick  him  out !"  For  this  he  was  prosecuted  by 
the  Governor  who  received  £300  damages.  He  did  not  collect  this, 
however,  although  he  caught  him  in  Philadelphia  and  imprisoned 
him. 


THOMAS  SHALLCROSS. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  233 

have  risen  above  the  things  of  time,  and  looked  to  a 
Higher  Power  for  support  under  those  trying  circum- 
stances; and,  if  we  are  allowed  to  judge  from  her  words 
and  actions,  the  light  of  truth  enlarged  her  understanding, 
and,  in  an  eminent  degree,  qualified  her  as  a  gospel  min- 
ister. She  was  indeed  a  powerful  preacher.  Her  man- 
ners were  dignified,  her  voice  melodious,  and  when  exer- 
cised in  the  ministry,  her  words  flowed  freely;  her  style 
was  impressive,  and  her  thoughts  were  clothed  in  such 
beautiful  language  that  she  attracted  many  hearers,  and 
few  preachers  in  that  day  were  considered  her  equal.  Of 
her  Dr.  John  Watson  remarks :  "That  she  used  no  ges- 
tures; her  left  hand  was  applied  to  the  side  of  her  face, 
w^hile  the  truths  of  the  gospel  flowed  from  her  tongue  in 
language,  accents  and  periods,  somewhat  resembling  the 
style  of  the  poems  of  Ossian."  They  resided  in  a  small 
tenement  belonging  to  Benjamin  Walton,  near  David 
Dyer's  present  residence.  In  1754  they  removed  to  Mary- 
land, and  no  further  account  of  them  has  been  found. 

NICHOLAS  MOORE. 

Nicholas  Moore,  an  attorney  of  London,  after  whom 
Moreland  was  named,  came  over  from  England  in  com- 
pany with  Penn,  in  1682.  He  took  up  a  large  tract  of 
land,  embracing  the  manor  of  Moreland,  now  Moreland, 
in  Philadelphia,  and  Moreland,  in  Montgomery  County. 
Pie  settled  on  this  tract  at  a  place  called  Green  Spring,  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  present  village  of  Somerton,  where  he 
erected  a  dwelling-house  near  a  fine  spring  of  water.  He 
was  a  distinguished  Judge  and  Counsellor  of  William 
Penn,  and  was  Chairman  of  the  first  Provincial  Assembly 


234  THE  HISTORY  OF 

of  Freemen  of  Pennsylvania,  which  convened  at  Chester 
in  12th  mo.,  .1682.  In  1684  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Assembly  for  Philadelphia,  and  was  chosen  its 
Speaker,  although  strongly  opposed  by  a  portion  of  that 
body.  On  the  4th  of  the  6th  mo.,  in  the  same  year,  Penn 
granted  to  him,  along  with  four  others,  commissions  as 
Provincial  Judges,  for  two  years  from  that  date,  and  he 
was  made  the  Chief  Justice  of  the  number.  In  1685  he 
was  again  elected  a  member  of  the  Assembly,  but  fell 
imder  its  displeasure,  and  was  impeached  as  a  corrupt 
and  aspiring  minister  of  state.  As  William  Penn  had 
gone  to  England,  a  letter  containing  the  impeachment  was 
transmitted  to  him,  but  it  did  not  receive  his  approbation, 
and  in  1686,  when  he  changed  the  Executive  Government 
to  a  Board  of  Five  Commissioners,  he  appointed  Judge 
Moore  and  two  of  his  former  associates  as  members  of 
that  board.  Moore  was  retained  in  this  responsible  posi- 
tion until  1687,  and  during  this  w^hole  time  he  appears  to 
have  given  satisfaction,  as  we  find  no  more  said  against 
him.  By  his  course  he  gained  the  good  will  of  most  of  his 
contemporaries,  and  enjoyed  the  high  confidence  of  Wil- 
liam Penn.  While  he  was  Judge,  he  established  a  Court 
at  his  residence,  and  erected  a  jail  there  for  "punishing 
and  reforming  culprits ;"  but  it  seldom  had  any  occupants. 
Judge  Moore  vvas  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  abilities, 
and  from  the  high  positions  he  filled,  his  name  has  become 
conspicuously  identified  with  the  earliest  history  of  More- 
land,  and  will  be  remembered  by  the  people  of  one  of  the 
finest  agricultural  districts  in  the  vicinity.  During  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  he  was  in  a  languishing  condition, 
and  his  pecuniary  affairs  suffered  so  much  that,  at  his 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  235 

death,  in  1689,  his  estate  was  much  incumbered,  and  was 
afterward  disposed  of  by  the  sheriff,  and  was  the  first  sale 
of  the  kind  ever  made  in  Pennsylvania.  He  left  several 
children,  but  we  find  little  said  of  them  in  the  subsequent 
history."* 

JOHN    WATTS. 

John  Watts  was  a  celebrated  surveyor,  who  resided 
during  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Lower  Dublin.  He 
and  his  brother  Silas  were  both  practically  acquainted 
with  surveying  in  all  its  bearings,  and  did  most  if  not 
all  of  that  business  in  the  townships  for  many  years,  and 
were  of  great  use  in  settling  disputed  lines.  John  was  a 
teacher  of  considerable  reputation,  and,  for  some  years 
previous  to  1790,  taught  in  Tillyer's  school,  Moreland. 
He  was  very  fond  of  mathematics,  and  is  said  to  have  been 
among  the  best  in  the  country. 

DR.  EDWARDS. 

Dr.  Edwards  was  born  in  Byberry,  and  was  among  her 
most  noted  sons.  During  the  Revolutionary  War  he  was- 
engaged  in  the  cause  of  his  country,  and,  for  meritorious 
conduct,  was  commissioned  an  officer.  After  peace  was 
established  he  returned  to  his  native  place,  where  he  filled 
several  public  stations  with  honor  and  credit.  He  was 
commissioned  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  in  that  capacity 
was  of  much  service  in  the  neighborhood  in  settling  cases 
to  the  satisfaction  of  parties  concerned.  Dr.  Edwards 
was  the  first  regular  physician  in  Byberry,  but  he  subse- 
quently gave  up  a  good  practice,  and  devoted  his  attention 

*  See   also   The   Free   Society   of   Traders,   Nicholas   Moore  and 
Moreland. 


236  THE  HISTORY  OF 

to  politics  and  agriculture.  In  1792  he  sold  his  farm  in 
Byberry  and  removed  to  Frankford,  after  which  he  was  a 
Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  in  Philadelphia — 
a  position  which  it  is  said  he  filled  creditably.  He  pub- 
lished some  very  interesting  papers  on  agricultural  sub- 
jects; and  a  charge  which  he  delivered  to  the  Grand  Jury, 
while  on  the  Bench,  was  published  in  the  "American 
Museum."    He  died  in  1802,  aged  52  years. 

PETER  YARNALL^  M.  D. 

Dr.  Yarnall  was  born  in  1753,  and  in  early  life  re- 
sided in  Horsham,  where  he  practised  medicine  with  great 
success,  and  was  much  respected.  In  1797  he  married 
Hannah  Thornton,  of  Byberry,  and  came  to  the  Thornton 
homestead,  where  he  resided  until  his  death,  which  occur- 
red after  a  few  days'  illness,  in  1798,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
five  years.  He  was  an  eminent  minister  among  Friends, 
and  preached  the  doctrines  of  peace  and  good-will  to  all 
men,  so  that  the  latter  part  of  his  life  strangely  contrasted 
with  his  early  days,  when  engaged  in  the  hostile  met^sures 
of  the  Revolution. 

dr.  swift. 

Dr.  Swift,  an  eminent  physician,  was  one  of  the  first 
who  resided  in  Moreland.  His  contemporaries  represent 
him  as  a  physician  of  much  skill  and  prudence,  and  as 
having  an  extensive  practice  in  the  vicinity.  In  him  the 
people  placed  the  greatest  confidence,  and  his  success  in 
relieving  disease  was  remarkable.  He  died  in  1780, 
lamented  bv  all  who  knew  him. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND. 


237 


ANDREW  OTT. 

Andrew  Ott  was  born  at  Vartzheim,  in  Germany,  in 
1739,  and  was  brought  to  this  country  by  hiis  parents 
when  about  five  or  six  years  old.  They  landed  at  Phila- 
delphia, where  they  staid  about  six  weeks,  and  then  moved 
to  a  place  in  the  country  near  the  Pennypack  Creek. 
When  the  Revolutionary  War  broke  out  he  enlisted  in 
Washington's  army,  under  Captain  Douglass.  He  was  in 
the  battles  of  Long  Island  and  Brandywine,  and  at  Fort 
Constitution,  on  the  Hudson,  where  there  was  some  skirm- 
ishing. Soon  after  the  war  was  over  he  married  and  set- 
tled in  Byberry,  where  he  resided  for  several  years.  After 
this  he  bought  a  lot  of  land  in  Bucks  County,  where  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  He  had  no  school  learn- 
ing, and  could  neither  read  nor  write,  yet  he  transacted 
all  his  business,  and  seldom  made  any  mistakes.  He  was 
a  plain,  industrious,  frugal  man,  a  member  of  All-Saints'" 
Church,  and  was  much  respected  by  his  neighbors.  He 
died  in  December,  1841,  aged  102  years. 

THOMAS  KNOX. 

Thomas  Knox  came  from  Ireland,  and  taught  school 
at  the  Sorrel  Horse  for  several  years.  After  this  he  taught 
at  Smithfield,  and  for  many  years  was  a  tax  collector  in 
Moreland.  Many  of  the  old  people  in  the  vicinity  remem- 
ber old  Tommy  Knox  as  their  teacher.  He  had  a  kind 
disposition;  but  when  the  unruly  urchins  would  try  the 
old  man's  patience  too  much  he  would  call  them  up  and 
lav  them  over  ''the  bame"  (his  knee).     He  would  then 


:238  THE  HISTORY  OF 

flourish  a  ruler  over  his  head,  and  exclaim  at  the  same 
time  with  great  earnestness :  "Were  it  not  for  the  bame 
overhead,  oh !  how  I  would  whack  ye !"  He  died  at  Som- 
erton  about  1840,  aged  nearly  ninety  years.  His  daughter 
married  Jesse  Hawkins. 

SAMUEL  SCOTT. 

Samuel  Scott  was  an  old  Friend  who  had  a  very  re- 
markable way  of  whistling  through  his  nose.  On  one 
occasion  Jeremy  Hibbs  clothed  himself  in  a  skin,  with 
horns  projecting  from  his  head,  and  placed  himself  in  the 
bushes  by  a  path  where  he  expected  Samuel  Scott  to  pass. 
After  Samuel  had  gone  by  a  few  yards,  Jeremy  came  out 
and  hailed  him.  Samuel  gave  a  whistle  through  his  nose, 
and  exclaimed,  "Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan !"  and  walked 
on  as  unconcernedly  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  Samuel 
was  a  sievemaker  by  trade,  and  this  seems  to  have  been 
the  usual  calling  of  the  family.  The  old  man  frequently 
wore  clogs,  or  wooden  shoes,  and  came  very  late  to  meet- 
ing one  morning.  Just  as  he  entered  the  door  he  hap- 
pened to  stumble,  and  fell  down,  when  the  rattling  of  the 
clogs,  and  a  loud  whistle  through  his  nose,  made  a  great 
noise,  and  frightened  one  fellow,  who  was  sound  asleep, 
quite  sadly.  Samuel  got  up,  however,  and  without  show- 
ing any  signs  of  being  disconcerted,  went  to  his  seat  as 
usual.  The  stone  in  Byberry  graveyard,  marked  S.  S., 
indicates  the  spot  where  Samuel  was  buried. 

WILLIAM  WOOD. 

William  Wood  came  from  near  London,  England,  in 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND. 


239 


1772.  He  married  Merab  Pennington,  and  moved  to 
Byberry.  He  was  a  baker,  but  did  not  follow  his  trade. 
Soon  after  he  removed  to  Makefield  and  opened  a  school. 
While  here  he  joined  the  Society  of  Friends  and  became 
a  recommended  preacher.  He  continued  to  teach  school 
for  many  years,  but  afterwards  led  a  roving  life,  and 
became  much  reduced  before  his  death. 

DR.   BEl^TJAMIN  RUSH. 

Dr.  Rush  was  born  in  the  southern  part  of  Byberry,  at 
the  house  now  occupied  by  Reuben  Parry,  on  the  24th  of 
December,  1745.  He  was  a  descendant  of  John  Rush, 
who  came  over  with  William  Penn.  His  father  died 
while  he  was  young,  and  his  education  devolved  upon  his 
mother.  He  was  sent  to  Princeton  College,  where  he 
graduated  with  the  first  honors  of  the  institution,  and 
soon  afterward  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  under 
Dr.  John  Rodman,  of  Philadelphia.  In  1766,  he  wxnt  to 
Edinburgh  to  attend  medical  lectures,  and  received  his 
diploma  from  the  institution  at  that  place.  In  1769,  he 
returned  to  Philadelphia,  and  soon  obtained  an  extensive 
practice.  He  was  afterward  a  Professor  in  the  Medical 
Department  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  It  is  not 
our  province  to  write  a  biography  of  this  distinguished 
man,  for  he  is  known  to  the  whole  world  as  one  of  the 
brightest  stars  in  medical  science  that  has  yet  ornamented 
the  Western  World,  and  his  works  will  live  as  long  as 
does  that  science  with  which  he  was  connected.  He  d^'ed 
in  April,  18 13,  aged  sixty-eight  years.     Both  the  Doctor 


240  THE  HISTORY  OF 

and  his  brother,  the  Honorable  Judge  Rush,  frequently 
visited  Byberry  in  the  latter  part  of  their  lives;  and  the 
township  may  feel  honored  in  having  been  the  birthplace 
of  two  such  noble  men. 

*Dr.  Benjamin  Rush  was  a  writer  on  political  and  medical 
topics  of  considerable  prominence.  His  name  was  attached 
to  .  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  although  he  did  not 
arrive  until  after  it  had  been  adopted.  Among  his  writings  prob- 
ably nothing  is  more  touching  than  a  short  letter  Written  to  his 
friend,  John  Adams,  after  a  visit  to  Byberry  in  1812.  In  it  he 
says :  "I  was  called  lately  to  visit  a  patient  in  that  neighborhood, 
and  having  with  me  my  youngest  son,  I  thought  I  would  avail 
myself  of  the  occasion  to  visit  the  farm  on  which  I  was  born,  and 
where  my  ancesters  for  several  generations  had  lived  and  died. 
In  approaching  it  I  was  agitated  in  a  manner  I  did  not  expect.  The 
access  was  changed,  but  everything  around  was  nearly  the  same 
as  in  the  days  of  my  boyhood,  at  which  time  I  left  it.  The  family 
there,  though  strangers  to  me,  received  me  kindly,  and  discovered  a 
disposition  to  satisfy  my  curiosity  and  gratify  my  feelings.  I  soon 
asked  permission  to  conduct  my  son  upstairs  to  see  the  room  in 
which  I  drew  my  first  breath  and  made  my  first  unwelcome  noise 
in  the  world,  and  where  first  began  the  affection  and  cares  of  my 
beloved  and  excellent  mother.  I  next  asked  for  a  large  cedar  tree 
which  once  stood  before  the  door,  planted  by  my  father's  hand.  It 
had  been  converted  into  the  pillars  of  the  piazza  before  the  house. 
Filled  with  emotion,  I  embraced  the  one  nearest  me.  I  next  in- 
quired for  the  orchard  planted  by  the  same  hand,  and  was  conducted 
to  an  eminence  behind  the  house,  where  I  saw  a  number  of  apple 
trees  which  stili  bore  fruit,  to  each  of  which  I  felt  something  like 
the  affection  of  a  brother.  The  building  which  is  of  stone,  bears 
marks  of  age  and  decay.  On  one  of  the  stones  near  the  front  door 
I  discovered  the  letters  J.  R.  Before  the  house  flows  a  small  but 
deep  creek  abounding  in  pan  fish.  The  farm  consists  of  ninety  acres 
in  a  highly  cultivated  state.  The  owner  did  not  want  to  sell,  but  I 
begged,  if  he  ever  should  incline  to  dispose  of  it,  to  make  me  on 
one  of  my  surviving  sons  the  first  offer.  While  I  sat  in  its  common 
room,  I  looked  at  its  walls  and  thought  how  often  they  had  been 
made  vocal  by  my  ancestors — to  conversations  about  wolves,  bears 
and  snakes,  in  the  first  settlement;  afterwards  about  cows  and 
calves,  and  colts  and  lambs,  etc.,  and  at  all  times  with  prayers  and 
praises,   and   chapters   read   audibly   from   the   Bible;    for  all   who 

♦Note  by  the  Editor. 


WILLIAM    E.    ERVIN. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  24I 

inhabited  it,  of  my  family,  were  pious  people — chiefly  of  the  sect 
of  Quakers  and  Baptists.  On  my  way  home  I  stopped  to  view  a 
family  graveyard  in  which  were  buried  three  and  a  part  of  four 
successive  generations,  all  of  whom  were  descendants  of  Captain 
John  Rush,  who,  with  six  sons  and  three  daughters,  followed  Wil- 
liam Penn  to  Pennsylvania  in  1683.  He  had  been  a  captain  of  a 
troop  of  horse  under  Oliver  Cromwell ;  and  when  I  first  settled  in 
Philadelphia,  I  was  sometimes  visited  by  one  of  his  grandsons,  a 
man  eighty-five  years  of  age,  who  had,  when  a  boy,  often  seen  and 
conversed  with  the  former  and  especially  concerning  his  services 
under  the  Protector.  I  retain  as  his  relics  his  sword,  watch  and 
Bible  leaf  on  which  is  inscribed  in  his  own  hand  his  marriage  and 
children's  births  and  names.  My  grandfather,  James  Rush,  after 
whom  my  son,  the  physician,  is  named,  has  his  gravestone  and  in- 
scription in  the  aforesaid  grave  ground — as  'departed  this  life, 
March  16,  1727,  aged  48  years,  etc/  He  was  a  farmer  and  gun- 
smith, of  much  ingenuity  in  his  business.  While  standing  and  con- 
sidering this  repository  of  the  dead  there  holding  my  kindred  dust, 
my  thoughts  ran  wild  and  my  ancestors  seemed  to  stand  before  me 
in  their  homespun  dresses  and  to  say,  'what  means  this  gentleman 
by  thus  intruding  upon  our  repose?'  and  I  seemed  to  say,  'dear  and 
venerable  friends,  be  not  disturbed.  I  am  one  who  inherits  your 
blood  and  name,  and  come  here  to  do  homage  to  your  Christian 
and  moral  virtues ;  and  truly  I  have  acquired  nothing  from  the 
world  (though  raised  in  fame)  which  I  so  highly  prize  as  the  re- 
ligious principles  which  I  inherited  from  you ;  and  I  possess  nothing 
that  I  value  so  much  as  the  innocence  and  purity  of  your  character/ 
After  my  return  from  such  a  visit,  I  recounted  in  the  evening  to  my 
family  the  incidents  of  the  day,  to  which  they  listened  with  great 
pleasure ;  and  heartily  they  partook  of  some  cherries  from  the  limb 
of  my  father's  tree  which  my  little  son  brought  home  with  him  as 
a  treat  to  them." 

SINIXSON    KEEN. 

SiNixsoN  Keen  was  of  Swedish  descent,  and  born  in 
1797.  When  he  was  but  two  years  old,  he  removed  to 
Frankford  with  his  parents,  and  some  years  later  to  Som- 
crton,  where  he  resided  for  a  long  time.  His  parents  were 
not  possessed  of  much  wealth,  and  from  the  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances surrounding  him  he  was  subject  to  many 
temptations;  but  bore  up  against  them  successfully.  He 
afterward  taught  school  in  Somerton,  and  became  noted 
in  his  profession.  He  shot  himself  in  Byberry  in  1819. 
t6 


242  THE  HISTORY  OF 

JAMES  BONNER. 

James  Bonner,  the  first  of  that  name  in  Byberry,  emi- 
grated from  Ireland,  in  1764,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six 
years.  He  married  Martha  Worthington,  of  Byberry, 
and  settled  in  Buckingham,  Bucks  County,  but  returned  to 
Byberry  again  in  18 13.  He  was  a  man  of  peaceable  de- 
meanor, respected  for  his  honesty  and  uprightness,  and 
ty  untiring  industry  accumulated  considerable  property. 
He  died  in  181 8,  aged  eighty  years. 

JUDGE  SOMMER. 

Judge  vSommer,  the  collector,  owned  a  large  tract  of 
land  in  the  vicinity  of  Somerton.  He  was  a  prominent 
character  of  that  day,  and  was  very  active  in  behalf  of 
the  cause  of  liberty.  His  son  Edward,  afterward  an 
Associate  Judge  in  Philadelphia,  was  a  lieutenant  in  the 
Continental  Army  during  the  Revolution.  He  was  taken 
prisoner  early  in  the  contest,  and  confined  in  a  British 
prison  at  Flatbush,  Long  Island,  four  or  five  years. 
Although  others  of  the  Continental  Army  were  either 
released  or  exchanged,  yet  the  British  refused  to  release 
Lieutenant  Sommer.  The  attention  of  the  (Government 
was  directed  to  it,  when  it  was  ascertained  that  Jonathan 
Walton,  a  refugee,  whose  farm  adjoined  that  of  Sommer, 
iiad  represented  to  the  British  that  young  Sommer  was 
a  man  of  great  influence,  and  would  hang  some  neighbors 
who  were  suspected  of  favoring  the  British  cause,  if  he 
was  released:  but  the  true  motive  was,  probably,  that 
Walton,  who  had  no  doubt  of  the  ultimate  success  of  the 
British  cause,  and  the  confiscation  of  the  rebel  property, 
wished  to  keep  Sommer  out  of  the  way,  so  that  he  might 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  243 

obtain  his  estate.  The  authorities  sent  an  order  to  the 
British,  stating  that  unless  Lieutenant  Sommer  was  re- 
leased, retaHatory  measures  would  be  resorted  to,  and 
British  prisoners  subjected  to  the  same  treatment.  He 
was  accordingly  released,  and  sent  home  on  parole.  While 
the  British  were  in  Philadelphia,  Walton  went  with  a 
party  to  Sommer's  farm,  and  took  horses,  cows,  and  other 
property  to  the  amount  of  about  four  hundred  dollars, 
besides  doing  much  mischief,  such  as  tearing  open  beds, 
injuring  furniture,  etc. 

Soon  after  the  war  ended  Walton  found  his  way  to 
Canada,  where  he  remained  for  many  years.  lie  owned 
at  that  time  about  ten  acres  of  land  adjoining  Sommer's 
place,  and  he  and  Sommer  agreed  upon  the  terms  for  the 
property,  on  which  occasion  the  latter  was  to  have  the 
deed  and  money  ready  for  Walton  at  a  neighbor's  house 
on  a  certain  evening.  They  met,  when  the  deed  was 
properly  signed,  and  all  the  money,  except  $400,  paid  over 
to  Walton.  This  amount  was  retained  to  pay  for  the 
damage  received  on  the  above  mentioned  occasion,  and  in 
order  to  get  shut  of  Walton,  he  was  ordered  to  leave 
immediately,  or  information  would  be  given,  and  he  be 
arrested.  After  the  war  was  all  over  Lieutenant  Sommer 
settled  on  his  paternal  estate,  where  he  lived  to  a  good  old 
age. 

WILLIAM  COOPER. 

The  earliest  account  of  the  Cooper  family  that  we  have 
met  with  is,  that  one  William  Cooper  arrived  in  this 
•country  in  1679,  and  settled  at  Burlington,  New  Jersey. 
His  name  appears  in  the  list  of  members  of  the  Colonial 


244  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Legislature  for  1681.  About  the  year  1687  he  obtained 
the  grant  of  a  tract  of  land  where  Camden  now  stands, 
extending  for  several  miles  above  and  below  the  mouth 
of  the  creek  which  bears  his  name.  One  branch  of  this 
family  removed  into  Pennsylvania  and  finally  settled  in 
Smithfield,  now  Somerton,  where  the  subject  of  the  pres- 
ent sketch  \yas  born,  in  the  log  end  of  a  house  afterward 
occupied  by  James  Vansant  as  a  tavern.  Little  is  known 
of  Cooper  during  his  minority,  except  that  he  was  appren- 
ticed to  a  person  in  Byberry  to  learn  the  wheelwright 
business.  After  his  majority,  he  resided  with  his  father 
in  the  log  house  in  which  he  was  born,  but  the  family 
were  exceedingly  poor.  This,  however,  did  not  damp  the 
ardor  of  young  Cooper,  who  began  to  look  about  for  a 
wife,  and  shortly  afterward  married  the  daughter  of 
Richard  Fennimore,  of  New  Jersey,  on  which  occasion 
the  old  man  expressed  some  doubts  about  Cooper's  being 
able  to  provide  for  his  daughter,  when  Cooper  replied 
"that  he  was  poor  and  she  must  shift  for  herself." 

After  their  marriage  they  settled  in  Byberry,  at  one 
time  living  in  a  small  tenement  belonging  to  William 
Walmsley,  and  helping  about  the  business  of  the  farm. 
After  this  they  lived  in  a  house  near  Charles  Comly's 
barn,  and  subsequently  in  an  old  house  on  Edward 
Parry's,  now  Charles  Martindale's  farm,  and  which  was 
known  as  the  "Potter's  Nest."  While  here  he  desired  to 
work  at  his  trade,  but  having  no  shop,  James  Thornton 
gave  him  permission  to  work  in  one  belonging  to  him. 
This  was  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  when  wheel- 
wrights were  not  in  much  demand,  and  Cooper  was  often 
without  employment.     He,  however,  did  not  despair,  but 


BYEERRY  AND  MORELAND.  245 

at  such  times  offered  to  work  for  half  price  at  any  busi- 
ness, so  that  he  was  seldom  idle.  William  Cooper  was  an 
eccentric  character,  and  seldom  deliberated  upon  the 
course  to  be  pursued,  but  acted  entirely  from  first  impres- 
sions, which,  he  said,  "were  always  the  best."  He  pos- 
sessed a  talent  for  speculation,  but  with  all  his  exertions 
remained  poor  while  in  Byberry.  About  the  year  1780 
they  moved  to  Burlington,  New  Jersey,  where,  in  partner- 
ship with  a  brother-in-law,  Robert  Thomas,  they  opened 
a  small  store.  Cooper  being  in  want  of  money  at  this 
time,  borrowed  £5  of  William  Walton,  of  Byberry,  which 
he  said  was  the  foundation  of  his  fortune.  This  loan  was 
not  paid  back  until  after  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
Congress,  when  he  paid  principal  and  compound  interest 
for  the  whole  time.  Their  business  here  was  poor,  and 
Cooper  turned  his  attention  to  speculation  in  real  estate. 
This  was  in  a  very  small  way  at  first,  but  as  he  was  gen- 
erally successful,  he  was  soon  able  to  make  heavier  pur- 
chases, and  by  1785  had  accumulated  considerable  capital. 
In  this  year  he  purchased  a  large  tract  of  uncultivated 
land  near  Otsego  Lake,  in  New  York.  This  he  divided 
into  small  farms,  and  offered  great  inducements  to  emi- 
grants to  settle  thereon.  In  the  spring  of  1786  he  laid  out 
a  town,  which  he  called  Cooperstown,  and  in  that  year 
erected  a  first  house  there.  At  this  time  there  were  no 
settlements  within  forty  miles  of  the  place,  and  Cooper 
left  his  family  at  Burlington  until  1790,  when  they  re- 
moved to  Cooperstown.  While  residing  at  the  former 
place,  their  son,  James  Fennimore  Cooper,  the  celebrated 
novelist,  was  born,  on  the  15th  of  September,  1789. 

From  prudent  management  William  Cooper  disposed 


^46  THE  HISTORY  OF 

of  nearly  all  his  purchase,  and  realized  large  profits,  so 
that  he  became  one  of  the  wealthiest  citizens  of  the  State 
of  New  York.  Some  idea  of  his  business  may  be  had. 
when  we  state  that  over  forty  thousand  persons  settled 
on  his  original  tract  within  twenty-five  years  of  the  time 
of  purchase.  When  a  Court  of  Justice  was  established  in 
Otsego  County,  William  Cooper  was  appointed  the  Pre- 
siding Judge,  which  position  he  held  until  1796,  when  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  National  Congress.  Judge 
Cooper  was  a  man  of  sound  judgment,  but  of  limited  edu- 
cation. His  character  was  very  decided,  and  he  was  sel- 
dom deterred  from  carrying  out  his  undertakings  by  the 
opinions  of  others.  He  was  something  of  a  writer,  and 
frequently  indulged  in  poetry,  some  of  which  was  quite 
popular  in  that  day.  He  was  of  a  social  nature,  and  de- 
lighted to  mingle  with  congenial  companions,  on  which 
occasions  he  would  with  great  pleasure  narrate  the  scenes 
and  adventures  of  his  varied  life.  He  died  at  Coopers- 
tow^n  about  the  year  181 2,  honored  and  respected  by  those 
around  him. 

*The  author  is  probabty  wrong  in  the  assertion  that  Wil- 
liam Cooper,  father  of  James  Fennimore,  was  descended  from 
William  Cooper  of  Pine  Point.  Of  the  Coopers  who  originally 
settled  in  the  locality  of  Philadelphia  there  are  three  distinct  fam- 
ilies:  (i)  In  i6c)9  William  Cooper,  also  called  Cowper,  of  Low 
Ellington,  Yorkshire,  England,  arrived  in  the  country  and  settled 
in  Buckingham.  (2)  In  1697  Williarti  Cooper  (born  1632,  died  1710) 
of  Hertfordshire,  England,  with  his  wife  Elizabeth  and  five  chil- 
dren, settled  at  Pine  Point.  New  Jersey.  (3)  James  Cooper,  ances- 
tor of  James  Fennimore  Cooper  and  probably  brother  of  William 
Cooper  of  Pine  Point,  arrived  in  1683. 

7'his  James  Cooper  was  probably  born  at  Bolton,  in  Lancashire, 
England,  in  1645.  On  coming  to  America,  he  took  up  the  lot  opposite 
to  the  custom  house  on  Chestnut  street.  Soon  after  his  arrival  he 
married  Sarah  Dunning  of  Southampton,  of  whom  he  had  several 
children.     He  died  in  1732.     A  grandson  of  James  Cooper  married 

♦Note  by  the  Editor. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  247 

Hannah  Hibbs  of  Bucks  County  in  1750  and  bought  land  in  Bucking- 
ham. Their  son  William  was  the  father  of  James  Fennimore 
Cooper,  the  novelist. 

William  Cooper  had  a  brother,  James,  who  married  Sarah  Comly> 
The  Osweg'o  Times  of  May  3,  1849,  thus  speaks  of  him :  "James- 
Cooper  died  at  8  o'clock  last  evening  at  the  residence  of  his  son^ 
C.  C.  Cooper,  esquire,  of  this  city,  after  a  short  illness,  in  the  97th 
year  of  his  age,  having  been  born  in  Bucks  County,  Pennsylvania, 
on  the  6th  day  of  March,  1753.  He  was  a  brother  of  the  late  Judge 
William  Cooper  and  uncle  of  James  Fennimore  Cooper.  Till  within 
a  few  days,  Mr.  Cooper  retained  in  a  remarkable  degree  the  powers- 
and  faculties  of  an  athletic  frame  and  strong  intellect.  He  em- 
phatically belonged  to  the  iron  age  of  the  Revolution,  to  an  age 
gone  by,  and  was  the  friend  and  intimate  acquaintance  of  Washing- 
ton. At  the  commencement  of  the  Revolution,  he  served  in  the 
Navy  of  Pennsylvania  and  subsequently  in  the  militia  of  his  native 
State,  and  participated  in  the  hard-fought  battles  of  Monmouth 
and  Germantowri." 

JAMES  CARTER. 

Tames  Carter  was  born  in  a  hip-roofed  house  near 
Artman's  Mill,  in  Southampton,  Bucks  County,  in  1778. 
His  parents  were  William  and  Mary  Carter.  Mary  was 
a  daughter  of  WiHiam  Hayhurst,  who  Hved  on  the  farm 
now  owned  by  the  heirs  of  Mordecai  Carter,  near  Rocks- 
ville,  where  he  owned  a  large  tract  of  land.  The  name  of 
Hayhurst  frequently  occurs  in  the  early  history  of  the 
neighborhood.  They  belonged  to  Middletown  Friends'" 
Meeting,  and  the  family  have  generally  been  interred  irt 
the  Middletown  graveyard.  Cuthbert  .  Hayhurst,  or 
'X^ncle  Cuddy,"  as  he  was  called,  who  obtained  some 
notoriety  for  not  being  like  other  men,  and  who  died  at 
James  Carter's  house  some  years  since,  was  a  son  of  Wil- 
liam Hayhurst.  James  Carter  had  two  brothers — Wil- 
liam, who  was  a  minister  in  the  Society  of  Friends,  and 
settled  near  West  Philadelphia,  and  Joseph,  who  settled 
near  Rocksville — and  one  sister,  Rebecca,  who  married 
John  Claxton,  and  settled  in  Philadelphia.    James  Carter 


248  THE  HISTORY  OF  ' 

learned  the  blacksmith  trade  with  John  Searl,  at  the  Four- 
lanes-end,  now  Attleborough,  and  then  removed  to  By- 
berry  Cross-roads  to  follow  his  occupation.  He  lived  in 
the  house  now  occupied  by  William  Forrest,  and  had  his 
shop  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road,  in  what  is  now 
Thomas  Dyer's  field.  He  married  Phebe,  daughter  of 
John  Tomlinson,  and  granddaughter  of  Isaac  Carver. 
He  followed  his  trade  until  18 19,  when  he  purchased  a 
farm  in  the  northern  part  of  Byberry,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Poquessing,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days. 
His  second  wife  was  Annie  Harding,  who  is  still  living, 
and  is  the  oldest  inhabtant  of  Byberry.  His  children  were 
Mordecai,  Tacy,  Emily,  Stephen,  Thomas,  Mary,  James, 
and  William. 

James  Carter  was  commissioned  a  Justice  of  the  Peace 
by  Governor  Simon  Snyder,  in  18 13,  and  from  that  time 
to  the  expiration  of  his  commission  by  the  new  Constitu- 
tion, did  most  of  the  business  appertaining  to  the  office  in 
the  neighborhood.  Esquire  Carter's  integrity  and  busi- 
ness qualifications  won  the  confidence  of  the  people;  and 
until  age  and  infirmity  disqualified  him  for  the  service,  he 
was  active  in  whatever  appertained  to  the  welfare  of  the 
communit)'-,  either  in  settling  disputes  among  his  neigh- 
bors, in  which  his  judgment  was  rarely  called  in  question, 
or  in  whatever  was  conducive  to  the  public  welfare.  He 
died  8th  mo.  8th,  i860,  and  was  buried  in  Byberry  grave- 
yard. 

JOHN  SIMMONS. 

John  Simmons,  son  of  Henry  Simmons,  was  born  on 
his  father's  farm,  near  Mil  ford,  Bucks  County.     John 


PEMBERTON  DUDLEY,  M.  D.,  LL.  D. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  249 

became  a  school  teacher,  and  moved  to  Horsham,  Mont- 
gomery County,  where  he  compiled  and  published  the 
*Tennsylvania  Primer,"  in  1794.  In  1795  he  removed 
to  Byberry,  and  in  partnership  with  his  brother  Thomas 
opened  a  store.  This  was  relinquished  in  1798,  and  he 
again  commenced  teaching.  In  1801  he  married  a  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  Atherton,  and  moved  to  Philadelphia, 
where  he  published  "A  Treatise  on  Farriery"  and  a  Read- 
ing Book  for  schools.     He  died  in  Philadelphia,  in  1843. 

JOHN  MARSHALL. 

John  Marshall  taught  school  a  short  time  in  By- 
berry,  after  which  he  moved  to  Ancocas,  New  Jersey, 
where  he  died,  in  181 3. 

CHRISTOPHER  SMITH. 

Christopher  Smith  was  born  in  England,  where  he 
learned  the  trade  of  nail-making.  He  taught  school  in 
Byberry  from  1784  to  1789,  then  removed  to  Horsham, 
where  he  died,  in  18 14. 

CHARLES  SAYRE. 

Charles  Sayre  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in 
Byberry  or  Bensalem.  He  married  Hetty,  widow  of 
Joseph  Croasdale.  By  trade  he  was  a  wheelwright,  yet 
for  many  3^ears  he  taught  school  at  Knightsville,  Byberry, 
and  near  the  Red  Lion.  He  contributed  numerous  arti- 
cles, principally  poetical,  to  the  various  newspapers  of  the 
day,  thus  evincing  a  creditable  talent  as  a  poet.  He  was 
of  a  religious  turn,  and  spent  much  of  his  time,  when  not 
engaged  at  his  business,  in  the  fields  and  woods,  where  he 
could  see  and  enjoy  the  works  of  God.    He  did  not  aspire 


250  THE  HISTORY  OF 

to  fame,  but  was  contented  with  his  little  circle  of  friends, 
by  whom  he  was  respected  and  beloved.  He  died  July 
28,  185 — ,  aged  51  years. 

THE  GROWDENS.* 

The  Growdens  of  Bensalem  have  been  repeatedly  mentioned  in  this 
history.  Lawrence  Growden,  along  with  his  son,  Joseph,  took  up  a 
tract  of  about  ten  thousand  acre*  in  Bucks  Count5%  most  of  which 
was  in  Bensalem,  as  will  be  seen  by  glancing  at  Thomas  Holme's 
Map.  Lawrence  remained  al  his  home  in  Cornwall,  England,  but 
Joseph  came  over  i;o  Pennsylvania  in  1682,  bringing  with  him  his 
wife  and  children. 

Joseph  Growden  called  his  place  Trevose,  after  his  home  in 
Cornwall,  England.  Another  portion  of  his  tract  he  called  Belmont^ 
a  third  he  called  Richlieu,  and  a  fourth  part  he  called  Stony 
Meadow. 

Joseph  Growden  appears  to  have  been  a  man  of  influence,  energy 
and  wealth.  He  was  prominent  as  a  member  of  Byberr}'  Meeting. 
We  learn  from  Mahlon  Carver  that  he  employed  a  number  of  his 
slaves  to  dig  the  great  race  for  the  mill  which  he  erected  on  the 
Poquessing.  Speaking  of  Bucks  County,  Oldmixon  says:  "Bucks 
County  sent  six  members  to  the  Assembly,  one  of  whom  was  Joseph 
Growden,  who  was  the  Speaker  of  the  House  (1708),  who  was 
instrumental  in  settling  this  country,  for  which  and  many  other 
things  it  is  very  much  indebted  to  his  care  and  services."  In  1699, 
his  first  wife  died  and,  in  1704,  he  married  Ann  Buckley  of  Phila- 
delphia. He  had  tv/o  sons  and  three  daughters.  He  was  member 
of  the  Privy  Council,  Speaker  of  the  Assembly  and  Supreme  Judge. 
He  died  in  1730. 

Joseph,  his  oldest  son,  inherited  his  property.  He  soon  died, 
however,  and  the  property  was  inherited  by  his  second  son  Lawrence. 
Lawrence  Growden  was  also  a  member  of  the  Assembly  and  a 
member  of  the  Governor's  Council.  Along  with  the  Governor  and 
Joseph  Galloway,  he  went  to  Easton  in  1758  to  meet  the  Indians. 
He  was  one  of  the  commissioners  appointed  to  run  the  line  between 
Pennsylvania  and  Maryland.  In  1763  he  bought  a  sixth  interest 
in  the  Durham  Company  of  Bucks  County  from  Williarn  Logan.  In 
this  company  were  also  interested  his  daughter,  Elizabeth,  and 
his  son-in-law,  Joseph  Galloway. 

He  died  in  1769,  leaving  his  property  to  his  two  daughters, 
Elizabeth  and  Grace.  Elizabeth  inherited  the  property  of  her  father 
that  was  in  Philadelphia,  and  Grace  inherited  the  property  within 
Bucks  County.  Elizabeth  married  Thomas  Nicholson  of  Trevore, 
England.  Grace  married  Joseph  Galloway.  These  were  the  children 
of  Lawrence  Growden.  Joseph  Growden,  Sr.,  also  had  a  daughter, 
Grace,  who  married  David  Lloyd,  12th  mo.,  31,  1697. 

♦Note  by  the  Editor. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  2s  I 


JOSEPH  GALLOWAY. 

Joseph  Galloway  was  born  in  Maryland  in  1730.  He  early  came 
to  Philadelphia  and  started  a  law  practice.  Soon  he  married  Grace 
Growden  and  removed  to  Trevose  in  Bucks  County.  Hencefor- 
ward he  became  very  prominent  in  political  affairs,  becoming  member 
and  Speaker  of  the  Assembly  and  member  of  the  First  Continental 
Congress.  He  signed  the  non-importation,  non-consumption  and 
non-exportation  agreements.  He  appears  to  have  been  conservative, 
however,  in  his  opposition  to  Great  Britain.  Although  he  was  not 
at  first  in  any  sense  a  Tory,  yet  for  his  conservatism  he  was  ridiculed 
and  severely  censured.  The  people  carried  their  dislike  to  the  ex- 
tent of  sending  him  a  halter  with  which  to  hang  himself.  Thus  irri- 
tated, he  left  Philadelphia  and  joined  the  British  in  New  York. 
Soon  afterward  his  office  at  Trevore  was  broken  into  and  many  im- 
portant documents  were  taken.  Thenceforward  he  became  very 
bitter  toward  the  American  cause  and,  though  he  did  not  openly 
take  the  field,  yet  he  wrote  m.uch  in  defense  of  the  crown.  In 
1778  he  went  to  England  and,  in  1779,  met  a  committee  of  Parlia- 
ment.    He  died  in  England  in  1803. 

Just  before  the  Revolution  Joseph  Galloway  became  a  stockholder 
in  the  Durham  Company.  In  1773,  however,  the  company  was  dis- 
solved and  Joseph  Galloway  received  tracts  Nos.  i,  2,  3,  4,  7,  23, 
which  lay  on  both  sides  of  the  Durham  Creek  and  contained  the  iron- 
works. In  1778  this  property,  along  with  the  Bensalem  tract,  valued 
at  £40,000,  was  confiscated  by  the  State.  It  was,  however,  recovered 
after  the  Revolution  by  his  daughter  Elizabeth. 

This  daughter  and  heir  to  his  estate  married,  unhappily,  William 
Roberts.  They  had  one  child,  but  soon  they  separated,  Elizabeth 
taking  the  child  for  a  consideration  of  £2,000.  This  child,  called 
Grace  Anne  Roberts,  married  Adolphus  Desart  Burton  in  1837  and 
had  several  children.     She  died  in  England. 

THE  BENEZETS. 
The  Benezets  of  Bensalem  are  descended  from  John  Stephen  Bene- 
zet,  a  French  Huguenot,  who  arrived  in  America  about  the  middle 
of  the  i8th  century.  He  had  three  sons.  His  oldest  son,  James, 
succeeded  to  the  estate  and  had  one  son,  Samuel,  who  was  a  major 
in  the  Revolutionary  War.  John  Stephen  Benezet's  youngest  son' 
was  Anthony,  the  great  philanthropist,  who  worked  so  strenuously^ 
for  the  abolition  of  slavery  although  his  relatives  all  kept  slaves. 
His  house  was  near  the  Schuylkill  on  Market  Street.  He  was 
rather  conscientious  in  regard  to  eating  meat,  as  he  believed  it 
wrong  to  eat  his  "fellow-creatures." 

THE  DECATURS. 

Captain  and  Commodore  Decatur  once  lived  in  Byberry,  dwelling 
in  the  house  on  the  Decatur  Road  now  occupied  by  William  Mor- 
row.   The  Decatur  Road  perpetuates  the  name  in  this  locality. 

The  first  account  we  have  of  the  Decaturs  is  a  Decatur  of  La 
Rochelle,  France,  a  lieutenant  in  the  French  navy.  He  made  a 
trip  to  the  West  Indies  and  there  contracted  a  fever,  which  induced. 


252  THE  HISTORY  OF 

him  to  seek  a  higher  latitude.  Accordingly,  he  came  to  Rhode 
Island  and  there  met  Priscilla  Hill,  whom  he  married.  He  re- 
moved to  Philadelphia,  but  soon  died,  leaving  one  son,  Stephen, 
afterward  Captain  Stephen  Decatur. 

Stephen  Decatur  soon  took  to  the  sea  and  became  a  naval  officer 
in  the  Revolutionary  War.  In  this  war  he  commanded  first  the 
"Royal  Louis"  and  afterward  the  "Fair  American."  He  married, 
while  young,  a  girl  of  Irish  parentage  called  Pine.  The  captain  had 
one  daughter  and  three  sons.  Stephen  Decatur  was  the  eldest,  James 
was  the  second  son,  and  John  P.  Decatur  was  the  third.  Of  these, 
James  was  treacherously  shot  while  fighting  in  Preble's  Squadron 
in  the  Mediterranean.    John  had  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 

Captain  Decatur  resided  in  Philadelphia  until  the  British  occupied 
the  city,  when  he  removed  to  a  place  called  Sinepuxent,  in  the 
County  of  Worcester  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Maryland.  Here  on 
the  5tli  of  January,  1779,  Stephen,  the  son,  was  born.  Previous  to 
his  removal  to  Maryland,  Decatur  probably  dwelt  on  Powder  Mill 
Lane  near  Frankford.  An  old  tradition  of  the  place  is  to  the  effect 
that  the  Decaturs  were  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  gunpowder 
in  a  mill  near  the  roid.  This  powder  mill  in  memory  of  which 
the  name  has  been  given  to  the  road,  was,  however,  conducted  by 
a.  family  by  name  of  Worrell. 

On  returning  to  Philadelphia,  Captain  Stephen  Decatur  settled 
in  Byberry.  At  any  rate,  he  resided  here  during  the  earliest  years 
of  his  son's  life.  It  was  from  this  residence  that  Stephen,  James 
and  John  attended  the  Byberry  School  where  they  received  the 
rudiments  of  their  education.  At  an  early  age  Stephen  contracted 
whooping  cough  which  left  him  in  an  ill  state  of  health.  To  im- 
prove his  health,  the  Captain  took  Stephen,  when  only  eight  years 
of  age,  on  a  sea  voyage.  Ever  afterward  young  Stephen  was  called 
"Captain  Dick."  During  these  early  school  days  he  became  addicted 
to  swearing,  for  which  he  was  punished  by  his  teacher.  As  this  did 
no  good,  the  teacher  decided  to  go  to  see  the  "Old  Captain,"  who, 
no  doubt,  was  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  teacher.  But  his  repri- 
mand of  the  boys  was  so  well  interspersed  with  profane  phrases, 
that  the  teacher  gave  up  the  attempt  to  correct  the  boys  as  useless. 
At  another  time  Stephen  was  receiving  a  flogging  for  some  prank 
in  which  his  brother,  James,  and  one  of  the  McCall  boys  were 
interested.  Stephen  took  the  punishment  in  good  nature  and  in  a 
laughing  manner  cried  out:  "Brother  James  and  McCall  have  not 
received  their  share  yet."  For  this  Stephen  received  a  double  share. 
Once  Stephen  became  involved  in  a  quarrel  with  one  of  the  McCall 
boys  who  offered  to  fight  with  him.  But,  as  the  boy  was  smalleif 
than  Stephen,  he  decided  to  fight  the  boy  and  the  boy's  brother  also. 

After  Captain  Stephen  Decatur  had  resided  for  some  years  in 
Byberry,  he  became  interested  in  a  mercantile  business  in  Phila- 
delphia. On  this  account  he  moved  with  his  family  to  the  city. 
Taking  up  his  residence  on  Front  street,  he  sent  his  children  to  the 
Academy  on  Fourth  street  near  Arch.  Young  Stephen  was  very 
fond  of  swimming.  Starting  at  Kensington,  he  would  skirt  the  city 
and  come  ashore  in  the  locality  of  the  present  navy  yard.     While 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND,  255 


on  one  of  these  aquatic  expeditions,  he  one  day  mounted  a  vessel 
and  climbed  to  the  tip  end  of  the  jib-boom  for  a  dive.  When  only 
sixteen  years  of  agC;  he  knocked  down  and  severely  injured  a  man 
who  was  using  abusive  language  to  his  mother.  On  another  occa- 
sion he  got  into  a  fight  with  some  French  sympathizers  who  at- 
tempted to  replace  his  American  hat  by  that  of  the  French.  Fortun- 
ately he  was  saved  from  injury  by  some  of  his  father's  sailors  who 
came  to  his  rescue. 

Subsequently  Stephen  went  to  the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Leaving  school  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  entered  upon  his  father's 
business,  where  he  continued  until  April  20,  1798.  On  that  date 
he  entered  the  navy  which  was  then  engaged  in  the  French  Naval 
War.  He  became  a  lieutenant  on  the  "United  States."  "Essex"^ 
and  "New  York."  He  next  became  captain  of  the  "Argus,"  which 
joined  Preble  in  the  Mediterranean.  On  this  expedition  he  made 
his  daring  entrance  into  the  harbor  of  Tripoli  for  the  purpose  of 
burning  the  United  States  vessel  "Philadelphia,"  lately  captured 
by  the  enemy.  Another  attack  was  soon  made  on  the  enemy  when 
Decatur  commanded  a  portion  of  the  fleet.  He  had  captured  one 
of  the  enemy's  vessels  and  was  about  to  return,  when  he  heard  of 
the  death  of  his  brother  James.  James,  in  command  of  one  of  the 
vessels  of  the  fleet,  had  captured  one  of  the  hostile  vessels.  As  he 
was  conducting  the  captured  vessel  out  of  the  battle,  he  was  treacher- 
ously slain  by  the  captain  of  that  vessel.  Stephen  was  so  enraged  at 
this  that  he  boarded  the  pirate  and  had  a  fierce  hand-to-hand  fight 
with  the  commander  whom  he  finally  shot  through  the  heart.  In 
1812  Stephen  Decatur,  with  the  "United  States,"  captured  one  of 
England's  finest  vessels,  the  "Macedonian."  In  1815  he  was  himself 
captured  while  in  command  of  the  "President,"  by  a  British  squadron. 
After  the  Second  War  with  Great  Britain  he  took  a  fleet  to  the 
Mediterranean  and  quickly  forced  Algiers,  Tunis  and  Tripoli  to 
make  peace. 

He  married  a  Miss  Wheeler  of  Norfolk,  Virginia,  and  resided 
in  Washington.  On  the  13th  of  June,  1819,  he  began  a  correspon- 
dence with  Commodore  Barren  concerning  the  conduct  of  the  latter. 
This  correspondence  led  to  a  duel  between  the  two.  In  this  duel, 
which  was  fought  on  rhe  22d  of  March,  1820,  Commodore  Stephen 
Decatur  was  mortally  wounded. 


2^4  THE  HISTORY  OF 


GENEALOGIES. 

THE  BOLTON  FAMILY.'*' 

The  Bolton  family  is  of  ancient  British  stock.  At  the 
time  of  the  Conquest  it  was  in  possession  of  great  landed 
-estates  both  in  Yorkshire  and  Lancashire.  The  name  of 
Bolton,  or  Bodelton  (the  ancient  spelling),  is  from  Boel, 
a  mansion,  probably  implying  that  it  was  the  principal 
residence  of  some  Saxon  Thane.  Mr.  Bolton  traces  the 
ancestry  of  his  family  to  the  Lord  of  Bolton,^  bow-bearer 
to  the  Royal  Forests  of  Bowland  and  Gilsland,  the  lineal 
representative  of  the  Saxon  Earls  of  Murcia,  and  who 
was  living  A.  D.  1135.  Robert  Bolton,  his  descendant  in 
the  fifteenth  generation,  was  born  at  Wales,  in  Yorkshire, 
in  1688,  and  died  in  Philadelphia,  in  1742.  His  descend- 
ants are  now  very  numerous  in  the  United  States.  We 
are,  however,  unable  to  trace  the  relation  between  him  and 
Everard  Bolton,  the  ancestor  of  the  family  whose  gen- 
ealogy is  here  given,  yet  they  are  probably  from  the  same 
:great  family.  The  name  of  Everard  Bolton  occurs  only 
in  this  branch  of  the  family,  and  it  has  been  so  frequently 
given  to  its  members  that  it  has  become  a  sort  of  inherit- 
ance. The  Boltons  were  generally  followers  of  George 
Fox,  and  numerous  instances  are  recorded  where  they 
suffered,  while  in  England,  "for  conscience'  sake  and  the 
truth." 

*I  am  indebted  to  William  F.  Corbit,  of  Philadelphia,  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  genealogy  of  this  family. 

"The  Duke  of  Bolton  appears  to  have  been  interested  in  the 
colony  of  New  Jersey  for  we  find  his  name  attached  to  the  docu- 
ments surrendering  that  colony  to  the  crown  in  1702. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  255 

(i.)  EvERARD  Bolton,  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  and  their 
two  eldest  children,  came  to  Pennsylvania  from  Ross,  in 
Herefordshire,  England,  in  1682  or  1683,  and  settled  in 
Cheltenham,  Pennsylvania,  on  a  tract  of  land  a  little  east 
of  the  site  of  the  present  village  of  Milestown.  This  tract 
was  presented  to  his  eldest  son  in  171 1,  but  the  deed  of 
transfer  was  not  recorded  until  1760.  Everard  Bolton 
was  an  active  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  having 
been  Treasurer  of  Abington  Meeting  for  nearly  forty 
years.  He  was  much  esteemed,  and  was  appointed  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace  by  a  Council  held  at  Philadelphia, 
May  30,  171 5.  Elizabeth  Bolton  died  June  5,  1707,  and 
Everard  subsequently  married  Margaret,  widow  of  John 
Jones,  a  merchant  of  Philadelphia.  Everard  Bolton  died 
in  1727,  leaving  eleven  children,  all  by  his  first  wife. 
They  were  Everard,  Elizabeth,  Hannah,  Mary,  Samuel, 
Abel,  Sarah,  Lydia,  Isaac,  Rebecca,  and  Martha.  Mar- 
garet died  in  1742. 

Besides  Everard  Bolton,  we  find  mention  of  Edward 
Bolton,  who  married  Eleanor  Jones,  of  Philadelphia,  in 
1694,  but  we  have  met  with  no  further  account  of  him 
or  his  family. 

(i.)  Everard  and  Elisabeth  Bolton's  Children. 

(2.)  Everard,  born  in  Ross,  England,  March  28,  1680, 
came  to  America  with  his  parents.  He  was  by  trade  a 
glover.  In  July,  1707,  he  married  Mary,  daughter  of 
Robert  Naylor,  of  Plymouth,  and  settled  in  Abington, 
Avhere  he  followed  his  occupation.  Children:  Priscilla, 
Mary,  Elizabeth,  and  Samuel. 

(3.)   Elizabeth,  born    in    Ross,    England,  June  26, 


256  THE  HISTORY  OF 

1 68 1,  came  to  America  with  her  parents.  She  married 
ElHs  Davis  in  1709,  and  settled  in  Cheltenham,  Mont- 
gomery County,  Pennsylvania.  He  died  in  1745,  and  she 
died  in  August,  1749.  Children:  Deborah,  born  August 
3,  1710;  David,  born  March  11,  1712;  Abel,  born  No- 
vember 17,  171 5;  Sibel  and  Hannah,  twins,  born  July  11, 
1 7 18;  Lydia,  who  married  John  Hurr. 

(4.)  Hannah,  born  in  Cheltenham,  December  22y 
1684,  married  Richard  Carver,  of  Byberry,  in  1708. 
Children :  Mary,  born  August  15,  1709;  Ann,  born  Octo- 
ber 15,  1710;  Sarah,  and  John.  Richard  Carver  died  in 
1727. 

(5.)  Mary^  born  in  Cheltenham,  November  4,  1687, 
married  Edmund  Roberts  in  1714.  They  removed  to  the 
"Great  Swamp,"  near  Quakertown,  Bucks  County,  and 
had  children,  Abel,  John,  David,  Everard,  Martha,  Mary, 
and  Jane.  Of  these,  Martha  married  John  Roberts  in 
1742;  Mary  married  J.  Foulke,  and  Jane  married  Thomas 
Foulke. 

(6.)  Samuel,  born  October  31,  1689,  married  Sarah 
Dill  worth.  She  died  in  1732,  leaving  a  portion  of  her 
estate  to  Janet,  wife  of  Samuel  Bolton.  He  was  much 
esteemed,  and  Rachel  Roberts,  who  died  in  1751,  named 
''her  trusty  friend,  Samuel  Bolton,  of  Cheltenham,"  as 
her  executor.  We  find  mention  of  but  one  daughter, 
Hannah,  who  married  John  Coombs.  He  being  absent 
for  a  number  of  years,  she,  having  first  obtained  the  con- 
sent of  Friends,  married  John  Clark,  in  1746. 

(7.)  Abel,  born  November  9,  1691 ;  died  July  19,  1702. 

(8.)  Sarah,  born  November  26,  1693,  married  Wil- 
liam Bolton.    After  his  death  she  married  Michael  Brown, 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  257 

in  1 75 1.  She  died  in  Front  Street,  above  Race,  Philadel- 
phia, but  left  no  children. 

(9.)  Lydia,  born  September  3,  1695,  married  John 
Biddle,  of  Philadelphia,  in  April,  1721.  He  died  June 
17,  1750,  and  she  died  August  16,  1764,  leaving  eleven 

children :   Elizabeth,  married Pearson ;  Sarah,  born 

October   19,    1723;  Hannah,  born  December  28,    1727. 

married  Waterman,   and  died   August   17,    1772; 

Josiah,  born  February  16,  1729;  John,  born  April  16, 
1730;  Abigail,  born  ^August  16,  1731;  Joseph,  born  July 
4,  1733;  Lydia,  born  March  14,  1735,  died  June  4,  1773; 
Mary,  born  July  4,  1736;  John,  born  November  15,  1738; 
and  Martha,  born  October  27,  1741. 

(10.)  Isaac,  born  June  27,  1697,  married  Sarah  Jones 
in  1724.  She  was  born  December  6,  1698.  In  1722  he 
removed  to  Philadelphia,  and  for  several  years  afterwards 
resided  on  the  north  side  of  Market  Street,  below  Second. 
In  1750  he  removed  to  Abington.  He  subsequently  pur- 
chased a  large  tract  of  land  in  Bucks  County,  where  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  da3^s.  To  this  tract  he  gave 
the  name  of  the  ''Bolton  Farm,"  which  name  it  still  bears, 
although  it  passed  from  the  Bolton  family  eighty  years 
ago.  In  addition  to  farming,  he  dealt  in  skins,  and  was 
denominated  in  law  papers  of  that  period  as  "Isaac  Bolton, 
peltsmonger."  Flis  possessions  continuing  to  increase,  he 
became  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in  the  Province.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  yet  had  no 
scruples  against  holding  slaves,  as  is  shown  by  the  follow- 
ing inventory  of  his  estate : 

"To  a  negro  woman,  named  Dinah,  £00  o  o. 
To  a  negro  man,  called  Berry,  £67  10  o. 
17 


258  THE   HISTORY  OF 

To  a  negro  woman,  named  Gate,  £35  o  o. 
To  a  negro  woman,  named  Daffane,  £45  o  o. 
To  a  negro  garle,  named  Phillis,  i.22  00." 
They  had  eight  children :    Margaret,  Rachel,  Sarah, 
Rebecca,  Jemima,  Isaac,  Joseph,  and  Everard. 

(11.)  Rebecca,  born  May  20,  1701,  was  married  No- 
Tember  4,  1747,  to  Solomon,  son  of  Dennis  Rockford,  a 
noted  man  in  the  early  days  of  Pennsylvania.  They  prob- 
ably had  no  children. 

(12.)  Martha,  born  May  20,  1703,  probably  died  in 
infancy. 

(2.)  Everard  and  Mary  Bolton's  Children, 

(13.)  Priscilla,  married  Cornelius,  son  of  Matthias 
Conrad,  of  Germantown,  March  29,  1732.  She  died  No- 
vember 22,  1765.  Children:  Matthew,  born  July  4, 
^733;  Mary,  born  June  26,  1735;  Everard,  born  July  21, 
1 741 ;  Joseph,  born  February  23,  1742;  Samuel  and  John, 
twins,  born  November  13,  1744;  Susannah,  born  January 

7,  1750.    Of  these  children,  Samuel  married  Mary , 

and  had  children,  Sarah,  Samuel,  Hannah,  Ruth,  Samuel, 

and  Cornelius;  and  John  married  Sarah  ,  and  had 

children,  Hannah,  Priscilla,  Benjamin,  Esther,  Sarah,  and 
John. 

The  Conrad  family  are  of  German  extraction.  They 
originally  wrote  the  name  Kunders,  the  ancestor  of  the 
family  being  Dennis  Kunders,  who  settled  in  German- 
town  about  1683. 

(14.)  Mary,  is  mentioned  in  her  father's  will,  but  we 
have  no  other  account  of  her. 

(15.)  Elizabeth,  was  born  June  26,  1708. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  259 

(16.)  Samuel,  married  Mary  Livezey.  He  lived  first 
in  Abington,  and  afterwards  in  Byberry,  where  he  died 
September  12,  1757.  Children :  Mary,  who  married  John 
Paul,  and  died  in  1796,  and  Martha. 

(10.)  Isaac  and  Sarah  Bolton's  Children. 

(17.)  Margaret,  born  April  6,  1726;  died,  unmar- 
ried. May,  181 7. 

(18.)  Rachel,  born  September  12,  1727 ;  died,  unmar- 
ried, January  i,  18 10. 

(19.)  Sarah,  born  September  3,  1729,  married,  first, 

Massey,  of  Deer  Creek,  Maryland,  and  had  one  son, 

Isaac.  She  married,  second,  James  Rigby,  and  had  one 
daughter,  Ann.  Sarah  Bolton  became  a  recommended 
minister  in  the  Society  of  Friends  at  the  early  age  of  23 
years,  and  subsequentl}'-  traveled  extensively  with  Ann 
Moore  and  Grace  Croasdale,  both  eminent  ministers  of 
that  Society.  Many  of  her  letters  are  still  extant,  and 
prove  her  to  have  been  a  woman  of  tender  feelings.  She 
died  March  29,  1784,  and  her  husband  January  6,  1790. 

(20.)  Rebecca,  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  June  18, 
1 73 1.     She  removed  to  Abington  in  1750. 

(21.)  Jemima,  born  January  27,  1733,  married  Henry 
Tomlinson,  November  21,  1753.  She  died  May  2,  1802, 
leaving  three  children,  Sarah,  Jemima,  and  Jesse. 

(22.)  Isaac,  born  April  27,  1735,  married  Sarah, 
daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  Walmsley,  of  Byberry. 
He  died  February  6,  1783.  Children:  William,  Joseph, 
Isaac,  Mary  and  Margaret,  twins,  Jesse,  Thomas,  and 
Sarah. 

(23.)  Joseph,  born  March  13,  1737,  married  Rhoda, 


260  THE  HISTORY  OF 

only  child  of  Rebecca  Bolton.     He  died  December  i8, 
1799;  she  died  August  8,  1806. 

(24.)  EvERARD,  born  October  i,  1739,  married,  first, 
Deborah,  granddaughter  of  Andrew  Griscom,  a  member 
of  the  first  Provincial  Council,  in  1683,  ^^^  noted  for 
having  built  the  first  brick  house  in  Philadelphia.  She 
died  in  1801.  Everard  then  married  Elizabeth  Ivins.  He 
died  in  1831,  leaving  seven  children,  all  by  his  first  wife: 
Isaac,  Sarah,  Samuel,  Rachel,  Aquilla,  Abel,  and  Everard. 

(22.)  Isaac  and  Sarah  Bolton's  Children. 

(25.)  William,  born  September  12,  1767,  was  by 
trade  a  blacksmith,  and  lived  the  most  of  the  time  in  By- 
berry.  He  died  September  19,  1823,  leaving  one  daugh- 
ter. 

(26.)  Joseph,  born  October  28,  1769,  married  Jane, 
daughter  of  Jonathan  Knight.  He  was  by  trade  a  tailor, 
and  lived  near  Knight's  Mill,  in  Byberry,  until  1798, 
when  he  moved  to  Frank  ford.  •  He  afterwards  went  to 
Black  River,  New  York,  where  he  married  a  second  time. 
He  died  there  in  1852,  leaving  several  children,  among 
whom  were  Tacy,  born  in  1794,  and  Isaac,  born  in  1796. 

{2'/.)  Isaac,  born  October  7,  1771,  married  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  Evan  Townsend.  He  at  first  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Byberry,  but  afterwards  moved  to  Bustleton,  and 
again  to  Byberry,  where  he  kept  a  store.  Thence  he  went 
to  Drumore,  in  Lancaster  County,  where  he  died  in  1853, 
beloved  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  Children : 
Evan,  who  died  at  Pennsgrove,  Chester  County,  in  1840; 
John,  Isaac,  Sarah,  Abi,  Margaret,  and  Elizabeth. 

(28.)  Mary  married  Nathan  Marshall  in  1800.     He 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  26 1 

was  a  blacksmith,  and  settled  in  Bustleton,  but  afterwards 
moved  to  Concord,  Chester  County,  and  thence  to  Black 
River,  New  York,  where  he  died,  leaving  several  children. 

(29.)  Margaret,  born  September  2,  1773,  married 
James  Hayton  in  1794.     She  died  in  1795. 

(30.)  Jesse,  born  June  30,  1777,  studied  medicine  with 
Dr.  Amos  Gregg,  of  Bristol,  and  died  soon  afterwards. 

(31.)  Thomas  married  a  sister  of  Henry  Comly,  of 
Frankford,  and  afterwards  moved  to  Black  River,  New 
York. 

(32.)  vSarah  married  William  Woodward,  of  Brandy- 
wine. 

(24.)  Everard  and  Deborah  Bolton's  Children. 

(33.)  Isaac,  born  March  23,  1766,  married  Phebe  Kay. 
Children :  Rebecca,  who  married  Isaac  Bartram ;  Sarah  ; 
Deborah,  who  married  Francis  Stillman;  and  Anna 
Maria,  who  married  James  Smith. 

(34.)  Sarah,  born  December,  1768,  died  April  7,  1790. 

(35.)  Samuel,  born  February  5,  1771,  married  Rachel 
Scull,  of  Cumberland  County,  New  Jersey,  who  was  a 
descendant  of  John  and  Mary  Scull,  emigrants  from  Eng- 
land in  1700.  Samuel  Bolton  was  a  man  of  inventive 
genius,  and  was  quite  intimate  with  John  Fitch.  He  took 
out  patents  for  several  inventions,  the  models  of  which 
were  destroyed  by  fire  when  the  British  burned  the  public 
buildings,  at  Washington,  in  18 14.  He  died  April  7, 
1812.  Children:  Aquilla,  Gideon,  Rachel,  Sarah,  Joseph 
R.,  James  Murray,  Hannah  S.,  and  Samuel. 

(36.)  Rachel,  born  February  15,  1771,  died  February 
25,  1789. 


262  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(37.)  Aquilla,  born  in  1773,  married,  first,  Phebe 
Yarnall;  second,  Alice  Babitt.  He  died  in  1858,  at  Day- 
ton, Ohio.  Children:  Phebe,  Denman,  Charles,  Jane, 
and  Mary. 

(38.)  Abel  J.,  born  September,  1778.  died  unmarried 
in  1858. 

(39.)  EvERARD,,  born  November,  1784,  married  Rachel 
Perkins,  and  settled  in  Philadelphia.  Children:  William 
P.,  Everard,  and  Sarah. 

(35-)  Samuel  and  Rachel  Scull's  Children. 

(40.)  Aquilla,,  who  married  Christiana  Aurand,  and 
resides  at  Port  Carbon,  Pennsylvania. 

(41.)  Sarah,  born  October  11,  1801,  married  Henry 
C.  Corbit,  of  Philadelphia,  a  descendant  of  Daniel  Corbit, 
who  came  from  Scotland  to  America  in  1700,  and  settled 
in  Delaware.  She  died  September  7,  1852,  leaving  chil- 
dren: Caroline  R.,  who  married  Ellerton  Perot;  Emma, 
who  married  Charles  S.  Ogden;  Henry  C,  who  died  aged 
14  years;  Everard  S.,  and  Charles,  who  died  in  infancy; 
William  F. ;  Helen,  who  died  aged  15  years;  and  Charles, 
who  married  Louisa  A.  Corbit,  of  Odessa,  Delaware. 

(42.)  Joseph  R.,  born  in  1803,  married  Sarah  Jones. 
Children :  Rebecca,  who  married  Edward  Bohrek ;  Anna, 
Sarah  J.,  Joseph  R.,  Clinton,  who  married  Jane  White- 
lock;  Henry  C,  who  married  Fanny  Lippincott;  and 
Samuel,  who  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  Vir- 
ginia, in  1862. 

(43.)  James  Murray,  born  February  11,  1806,  mar- 
ried Mary  E.  English.  Children:  Emma,  Mary,  and 
Emma  Louisa. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  263 

(44.)  Hannah  S.,  born  September  8,  1807,  married 
Isaac  Lloyd.  Children:  Elizabeth,  Bolton,  Franklin, 
William,  Edwin,  Horace,  Clement,  and  Fanny. 

(45.)  Samuel,  born  July,  1809,  married  Hannah 
Sanders.  Children:  Anna,  Gideon  S.,  Thomas,  Alfred^ 
Rachel,  and  William. 

THE  CARVER  FAMILY.* 

(i)  John  Carver,  with  his  brothers,  William,  Joseph, 
and  Jacob,  came  to  Pennsylvania,  from  England,  in  1682. 
They  were  all  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  Pre- 
vious to  emigrating  from  England,  John  married  Mary 
Lane,  at  the  Priory  of  St.  Albans.  He  took  up  by  patent, 
from  William  Penn,  690  acres  of  land  in  the  northeastern 
part  of  Byberry,  along  the  Poquessing  Creek.  It  included 
the  site  of  the  old  homestead,  which  remained  in  the 
family  for  six  generations,  having  descended  successively 
from  father  to  son,  all  of  whom  were  named  John,  until 
1864.  He  was  a  malster  by  profession,  and  the  "malt- 
house"  was  continued  until  the  fourth  generation,  when 
the  business  became  so  poor  that  it  was  given  up.  He 
died  in  1714.  Children:  Mary,  John,  Ann,  James,  and 
Richard.^ 

*  I  am  indebted  to  Watson  Comly  and  Mahlon  Carver,  both  of 
Byberry,  for  the  genealogy  of  this  family. 

'  From  Mahlon  Carver  I  learn  that  the  Carvers  are  probably  from 
Sussex,  England.  John  appears  to  have  had  one  other  brother, 
Richard,  who  suffered  in  the  persecution  of  the  Friends. 

John  secured  a  portion  of  his  tract  from  Rideaut.  Two  hundred 
acres  of  the  tract  was  sold  to  the  Homer  family.  About  two  hun- 
dred acres  was  purchased  by  John  Carver's  brother,  William.  A 
son,  James,  also  secured  a  portion  of  the  tract. 

The  brewing  business  assumed  considerable  magnitude.  For  a 
long  tim.e  it  was  the  only  brewhouse  in  the  locality. 


264  THE  HISTORY  OF  ' 

(^i.)    John  and  Mary  Carver's  Children. 

(2.)  Mary  was  born  in  a  cave,  near  Philadelphia,  five 
days  after  the  landing  of  Penn,  and  was  the  first  child  of 
English  parentage  born  in  Pennsylvania.  She  married 
Isaac  Knight,  of  Abington,  and  was  afterwards  a  noted 
minister  in  the  Society  of  Friends.  She  died  3d  mo.  3, 
1769,  aged  86  years.  A  memorial  concerning  her  was 
issued  by  Abington  Monthly  Meeting,  of  which  she  was  a 
member.  Some  of  her  descendants  still  remain  in  Abing- 
ton. 

(3.)  John  inherited  a  part  of  the  paternal  estate  in 
Byberry,  and  like  his  father,  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
malster  in  addition  to  that  of  farming.  The  malt-house 
was  about  twenty  yards  south  of  the  present  Carver  Man- 
sion, and  was  the  only  malt-house  in  that  section  of  the 
country.  He  married  Isabel  Weldon,  from  the  Barony 
of  Kendal,  Ireland.  He  died  5th  mo.  14,  1769.  Chil- 
dren; John,  Ann,  and  Isaac. 

(4.)  Ann  married  John  Duncan. 

(5.)  James  built  the  hip-roofed  house  now  owned  by 
Thomas  Townsend.  He  married,  and  had  one  son, 
Sa  .del,  who  moved  to  Philadelphia.  He  was  a  carpenter, 
and  assisted  in  building  Christ  Church,  in  Second  Street.*^ 

(6.)  Richard  married  a  Conrad,  and  settled  at  By- 
berry  Cross-roads,  where  he  started  the  first  tavern  in 
Byberry.  He  afterwards  moved  to  Abington.  Children : 
Mary,  Ann,  and  two  sons.  His  descendants  are  living 
near  Sumneytown,  Chambersburg,  and  Chester  Valley.* 

*  James  Carver's  wife  was  Hannah  Townsend. 

"  I  learn  from  Mahlon  Carver  that  this  account  is  incorrect.  Rich- 
ard Carver  married  Hannah  Bolton.  He  had  three  daughters  and 
one  son. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.       -      265 

(3.)    John  and  Isabel  Carver's  Children. 

(7.)  John,  born  7th  mo.  30th,  1717,  married  Rachel, 
daughter  of  Joseph  Naylor,  of  Southampton,  and  settled 
on  the  Carver  Homestead.  He  died  ist  mo.  15th,  1791. 
Children :  John,  Samuel,  Eli,  Mahlon,  Mary,  and  Rachel. 

(8.)  Ann,  born  nth  mo.  23d,  1719,  married  Robert 
Heaton,  and  settled  in  Byberry.  Children:  Isabel,  Su- 
sannah, and  John. 

(9.)  Isaac,  born  2d  mo.  22d,  1722,  married  Phebe, 
daughter  of  Thomas  Walmsley,  in  1742.  He  inherited 
about  200  acres  of  his  father's  property,  and  settled  where 
Richard  Cripps  now  lives.^  He  was  somewhat  noted  as 
a  literary  man,  and  taught  school  for  several  years  near 
the  Byberry  Meeting-house.  He  was  a  wit;  and,  having 
a  poetical  turn,  was  called  the  "Poet  Carver."  His  verses 
were  shrewd,  often  sarcastic,  and  generally  had  reference 
to  local  events  transpiring  in  the  neighborhood.  He  died 
I2th  mo.  25,  1786,  aged  64  years.  Children:  Mary,  Nan- 
ny, Martha,  Phebe,  and  Isabel. 

.  (7.)  John  and  Rachel  Carver's  Children. 

(10.)  John,  born  loth  mo.  26th,  1747,  married  Mary, 
daughter  of  Joseph  Buckman.  of  Wrightstown,  and  set- 
tled on  the  homestead  in  Byberry.  Children:  Martha, 
Mary,  John,  Ascenath,  Hcinnah,  Sarah,  Joseph,  and  Eliz- 
abeth. 

(11.)  Samuel,  born  12th  mo.  2d,  1749,  married  Su- 
san Conrad,  of  Horsham,  and  settled  where  Randall  My- 
ers now  lives. ^^     His  occupation  was  that  of  a  carpenter 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  John  Jenks. 

^^  John  Stephens  now  lives  on  this  property.  , 


266  THE  HISTORY  OF 

in  addition  to  farming.  He  died  4th  mo.  loth,  1784. 
Children:  Eli,  Priscilla,  and  Rachel. 

(12.)  Mahlon,  born  7th  mo.  i8th,  1754,  married 
Amy  Pickering,  of  Solebury.  He  first  settled  near  By- 
berry  Meeting-house,  where  he  followed  his  trade  of 
blacksmith.  He  afterwards  kept  the  Anchor  Hotel  in 
Wrightstown,  and  thence  moved  to  a  hotel  at  Morris- 
ville,  where  he  died.    Children :  Jane,  Rachel,  and  Sarah. 

(13.)  Mary,  born  12th  mo.  nth,  1758,  married 
Thomas  Samms,  of  Byberry.  Children:  Thomas  and 
John.  Thomas  married  Mary  Hampton;  their  children, 
John  H.  and  Ann.  John  married  Mercy  Hampton.  Chil- 
dren :  Mary  and  Rachel. 

(14.)  Rachel^  born  ist  mo.  24th,  1763;  died  single,. 
4th  mo.  4th,  1834. 

(9.)  Isaac  and  Phebe  Carver's  Children. 

(15.)  Mary,  married  Benjamin  Taylor,  and  had  one 
daughter,  Martha.  She  married  William  Tomlinson,  of 
Byberry,  and  had  children,  Mary,  Aaron,  John,  James, 
Phebe,  Silas,  Benjamin,  William,  and  Isaac. 

(16.)  Nanny,  married  John  Carver,  of  Buckingham, 
and  afterwards  moved  to  Chester  County.  Children: 
John,  Joseph,  Isaac,  and  two  daughters. 

(17.)   Martha,  died  single,  in  1771. 

(18.)  Phebe,  married  Thomas  Tomlinson  in  1773. 
They  lived  back  of  Smithfield  on  a  farm,  which  they  rent- 
ed for  forty  years.  They  were  quiet  and  unassuming  in 
their  habits,  and  although  not  considered  prosperous  in 
business,  they  were  highly  respected  for  their  many  vir- 
tues.    Their    children:     Elizabeth,    married     Benjamin 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  267 

Fields ;  Phebe,  married  James  Carter,  Esq. ;  Martha,  mar- 
ried John  Praul;  Isabel;  Joseph;  John,  married  Martha 
Worthington;  Amos;  Isaac,  married  Deborah  Kline; 
Thomas,  married  Rebecca  Kline;  and  Silas. 

( 19. )  Isabel,  married  John  Davis,  and  had  one  daugh- 
ter, Phebe,  who  was  married  first  to  Miller  Duffee,  and 
afterwards  to  Septimus  Tucker. 

(10.)  John  and  Mary  Carver's  Children. 

(20.)  Martha,  born  4th  mo.  27th,  1772,  died  single,, 
5th  mo.  15,  1 81 8. 

(21.)  Mary,  born  9th  mo.  T6th,  1773,  married  Wil- 
liam Worthington,  of  Wrightstown.  Children :  Ascenath, 
Margaret,  Mahlon,  Martha,  Sarah,  and  John. 

{22.)  John,  born  2d  mo.  28th,  1776,  married  Eliza- 
beth Briggs,  of  Wrightstown.  He  died  loth  mo.  loth^ 
1849.    Children:  John,  Mahlon,  Esther,  and  Eliza. 

(23.)  Ascenath,  born  3d  mo.  23d,  1780,  married 
John  Townsend,  and  moved  to  Jefferson  County,  New 
York.  Children:  John,  Robert,  Mary,  Ezra,  Martha, 
Evan,  and  Abi. 

(24.)  Hannah,  born  2d  mo.  i6th,  1782,  married  Ben- 
jamin Kirkbride,  of  Jeft'erson  County,  New  York.  Chil- 
dren: George,  Sarah,  and  Benjamin. 

(25.)  Sarah,  born  8th  mo.  29th,  1785,  married  Jo- 
siah  D.  Banes,  M.  D.  Children :  S.  Rodman,  Rachel,  and 
Mary. 

{26.)  Joseph,  born  ist  mo.  28th,  1788,  married  Esther 
Wiggins,  of  Newtown.  He  was  a  mason  by  trade,  and 
obtained  considerable  celebrity  on  account  of  his  fond- 
ness for  fun  and  for  playing  mischievous  pranks  on  his; 


268  THE  HISTORY  OF 

associates.     His  children  were  William,  Isaac,  Louisa, 
and  James. 

(27.)  Elizabeth,  born  6th  mo.  15th,  1790,  married 
Evan  Townsend.  Children :  Thomas,  Jacob,  Abi,  Mary, 
Mahlon,  William,  Sarah,  and  Martha. 

(11.)   Samuel  and  Susan  Carver's  Children. 
(28.)   Eli,     married     Martha     Wilson.       Children: 
George,  Samuel,  John,  Joseph,  Mary,  Rachel,  and  Eli. 
(29.)   Priscilla,  died  single. 
(30.)   Rachel,  married  James  Conrad,  of  Abington. 

(12.)  Mahlon  and  Amy  Carver's  Children. 

(31.)  Jane,  married  Philip  Sagers.  Children:  Stephen, 
x\my,  Rachel,  Mahlon,  John,  Sarah,  and  William. 

(32.)  Rachel,  married  William  Cooper  of  the  Falls. 
Children :  Mahlon  and  Erwin. 

(33.)   Sarah,  died  single. 

(28.)  Eli  and  Martha  Carver's  Children. 

(34.)  George,  married  Ann  Myers,  in  1834.  Chil- 
dren: Mary,  Martha,  Jane,  Jacob  M.,  Charles  R.,  Agnes, 
Wilmer,  and  Edwin. 

(35.)  Samuel,  married  Elizabeth  Croasdale.  Chil- 
dren :  George,  Martha,  Hannah,  Rachel,  John,  and  Eli. 

(36.)  John,  married  Rebecca  Whital.  Children :  Wil- 
liam, Ann,  David,  Charles,  and  George. 

(37.)  Joseph,  married  Sarah 'Wood,  of  Ohio.  Chil- 
dren: Mary,  Jane,  John,  Amos,  Phebe  Ann,  Emiline, 
Harvey,  Joseph,  Eli,  and  Adra. 

(38.)  Mary,  married  Amos  Croasdale.  Children: 
Lydia,  Emma,  and  Martha. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  26g' 

(39.)  Rachel,,  married  William  Reed,  of  Ohio.  Chil- 
dren: Levi,  David,  Mary  Elizabeth,  Hannah,  Jane,  Eli^ 
Amos,  Martha,  Mary  Emma,  Wilmer,  and  George. 

(40.)  Eli^  married  Emiline  Rogers.  Children :  George, 
Alexander,  and  Adra  Ann. 

THE  BROTHERS  WILLIAM,  JOSEPH,  AND  JACOB. 

(i.)  William  Carver,  brother  of  (i)  John,  first  set- 
tled where  Edwin  Tomlinson  now  lives,  but  afterwards 
traded  his  farm  with  Silas  Walmsley  for  land  in  Bucking- 
ham, near  the  Green  Tree,  receiving  two  acres  for  one. 
He  was  married  while  in  England,  but  his  first  wife, 
Jane,  died  in  1692,  leaving  a  daughter,  Sarah.     William 

next  married  Mary  .     Children:  William,  Joseph,. 

Rachel,  and  Esther. 

( I . )    VVilliani  Carver's  Children. 

(2.)   Sarah,  married  John  Rush,  in  1707. 

(3.)  William,  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Henry 
Walmsley,  and  moved  to  Buckingham.  Children :  Wil- 
liam, Joseph,  John,  Jacob,  Henry,  and  others.  Many 
of  William  Carver's  descendants  now  reside  in  Bucking- 
ham and  Wrightstown,  but  we  are  unable  to  give  any 
further  account  of  them. 

Joseph  Carver,  brother  of  ( i )  John,  moved  to  North 
Carolina,  and  settled  on  Carver's  Creek,  New  Garden, 
where  his  descendants  still  reside. 

Jacob  Carver,  brother  of  (i)  John,  died  unmarried, 
and  was  buried  in  the  field  back  of  the  barn  on  the  Carver 
homestead,  there  being  no  graveyards  in  those  days. 


-270  THE   HISTORY  OF 

THE  COMLY  FAMILY.* 

(i.)  Henry  and  Joan  Comly,  with  their  son  Henry, 
came  to  Pennsylvania  with  William  Penn  in  1682.  A 
family  tradition  says  that  Henry  Comly  had  a  brother 
Walter  in  England,  who  possessed  a  valuable  estate,  but 
had  no  children.  It  is  also  said  that  a  person  by  the  name 
of  John  Comly  came  to  Pennsylvania  from  Bristol,  Eng- 
land, and  that  he  was  a  soldier  in  Braddock's  army,  but 
^e  have  no  further  account  of  him.  We  therefore  con- 
•clude  that  Henr}^  and  Joan  Comly  were  the  first  of  that 
name  who  came  to  America,  and  that  all  of  the  now  very 
•extended  family  of  Comlys  are  descendants  from  them. 
They  came  from  Bedminster,  near  Bristol,  England,  and 
were  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  Persons  by  the 
name  of  Comly  are  frequently  mentioned  in  the  history 
of  the  persecutions  of  Friends  in  England,  as  having  suf- 
fered imprisonment  "for  attending  religious  meetings  and 
refusing  to  swear."  Henry  Comly  was  a  weaver  by  trade, 
and  settled  in  Warminster,  Bucks  County,  on  a  tract  of 
500  acres.  In  the  records  of  Middletown  Meeting,  then 
called  "Neshaminah,"  we  find  that  "Henry  Comly  was 
buried  ye  14th  day  of  ye  3d  mo.,  1684."  "On  the  2d  day 
of  the  1 2th  mo.  of  the  same  year,  1684,  at  a  Monthly 
Meeting  of  Friends  of  Tacony  and  Poetquessink,  held  at 
John  Hart's  house,  Joseph  English  requested  a  certificate 
to  take*  Joan  Comly,  of  the  County  of  Bucks,  and  John 
Hart  was  ordered  to  write  and  sign  it  on  behalf  of  the 
Meeting." 

*  I  am  indebted  to  Watson  Comly,  of  Byberry,  for  the  genealogy 
of  this  family. 

*  The  words  "in  marriage"  are  wanting  in  the  original  document. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  27 1 

Joseph  and  Joan,  after  having  published  their  inten« 
tions  of  marriage  at  two  successive  meetings,  "held  at 
Neshaminah  Creek,  and  none  appearing  to  object,"  were 
married  "at  a  Publique  meeting  held  at  John  Otter's,  in 
the  presence  of  twelve  witnesses,  one  of  them  being  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace,"  on  the  26th  day  of  ye  2d  mo.,  1685. 
The  witnesses  were  Mary  Eastman,  John  Otter,  Edward 
Bennit,  Robert  Hall,  John  Boyden,  Margaret  Bbyden, 
Naomi  Allen,  Henry  English,  James  Spencer,  Elizabeth 
Otter,  Rebekah  Bennet,  John  Hust,  Elizabeth  Lundy,  and 
Robert  Rowe. 

Joseph  English  died  8th  mo.  loth,  1686,  and  his  widow, 
Joan,  "was  buried  at  the  meeting-house  at  Neshaminah, 
loth  mo.  20th,  1689."  Thus  we  find  that  within  seven 
years  after  the  arrival  of  this  family  in  Pennsylvania, 
the  father,  mother,  and  stepfather  of  young  Henry  died, 
•SO  that  Friends  were  concerned  "to  extend  to  him,  while 
yet  in  his  minority,  their  care  and  assistance." 

Henry,  son  of  Henry  and  Joan  Comly,  married  Agnes, 
daughter  of  Robert  and  Alice  Heaton,  8th  mo.  I7tb,  1695. 
Agnes  was  born  12th  mo.  9th,  1677. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  their  marriage  certificate: 

"Whereas,  Henry  Comley  and  Agnes  Heaton,  both  of 
ye  County  of  Bucks  and  Province  of  Pennsylvania,  hav- 
ing declared  their  intentions  of  taking  each  other  as  hus- 
band and  wife  before  several  publick  meetings  of  ye  peo- 
ple of  God,  called  Quakers,  according  to  ye  good  order 
used  among  them;  whose  proceedings  therein,  after  de- 
liberate consideration  thereof,  and  consent  of  parties  and 
relations  concerned  being  approved  by  ye  said  meetings. 


2^2  THE  HISTORY  OF 

and  publication  thereof  having  been  made  according  to 
3^e  law  of  this  Province; 

''Now,  these  are  to  certifie  all  whom  it  may  concern, 
yt  for  ye  full  determination  of  their  said  intentions,  this 
seventeenth  day  of  ye  eighth  month,  in  ye  year  one  thou- 
sand six  hundred  and  ninety  and  five,  they,  ye  said  Henry 
Comley  and  Agnes  Heaton,  appeared  in  a  publick  and 
solemn  assemblie  of  ye  aforesaid  people  at  ye  public  meet- 
ing-house of  Friends  in  Middletown,  near  Neshamina, 
in  ye  county  and  province  aforesaid,  met  together  for  that 
end  and  purpose,  according  to  the  example  of  ye  holy 
men  of  God  recorded  in  ye  Scriptures  of  Truth — he,  the 
said  Henry  Comly,  taking  ye  said  x\gnes  Heaton  by  ye 
hand,  did  openly  declare  as  follows :  'Friends,  in  ye  pres- 
ence of  ye  Lord  I  desire  you  to  bear  me  witness,  I  take 
Agnes  Heaton  to  be  my  wife,  promising  to  be  to  her  a 
loving  and  faithful  husband  till  it  please  ye  Lord  by  death 
to  separate  us.'  And  then  and  there  in  ye  said  assemblie, 
ye  said  Aignes  Heaton  did,  in  like  manner,  declare  as  fol« 
loweth :  'Friends,  in  ye  presence  of  ye  Lord,  and  before 
you  his  people,  I  take  my  friend  Henry  Comly  to  be  my 
husband,  promising  to  be  a  loving  and  faithful  wife  till 
ye  Lord  by  death  do  separate  us.' 

"And  ye  said  Henry  Comly  and  Agnes,  now  his  wife, 
as  a  further  confirmation  thereof,  did  then  and  there  to 
these  presents  set  their  hands. 

"Henery  Comely. 
"Agnes  Comely. 

"And  we,  whose  names  are  hereunto  subscribed  as  wit- 
nesses thereto,  have  also  to  these  P'snts  subscribed  our 
hands  ye  day  and  year  above  written : 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND. 


'^71 


"Robert  [X]  Heaton,  Sr.,Joiin  Darke, 
V/iLLiAM  Paxson,  Sr.        Will  Hayhurst 
Jonathan  Scaife, 


Nicholas  Walln, 
Ezra  Crgasdill. 
Henry  Paynter, 
James  Faxson, 
William  Pax  son,  Jr., 


John  Cutler, 
Peter  White, 
Peter  Worrell, 
Jane  Paxson, 
Mary  Paxson,  Sr., 
Isabel  Cutler, 


Thomas  Stackhouse,  Sr. Rachel  Bunting, 


Martin  Wildman, 
Will  Darke, 
John  Crgasdill, 
Stephen  Wilson, 
John  Scarborough, 
John  Bunting, 
John  Cowgill, 
John  Hough, 


Sarah  Wilson, 
Mary  Coat, 
Jane  Sands, 
R  A  c  IT  el  Po  w  n  all, 
Abigail  PowNxVLL,  * 
Elizabeth  White, 
Hannah  Hough, 
Mary  Paxson, 


On  the  nth  of  September,  1697,  Robert  Heaton  deed- 
ed 300  acres  of  his  estate  in  the  Manor  of  Moreland  to 
his  son-in-law,  Henry  Comely,  for  the  consideration  of 
£72  15s.  This  place  was  called  Green  Brier  Spring,  and 
became  the  residence  of  Henry  Comly,  in  whose  family 
it  has  since  continued. 

In  the  old  family  Bible  brought  from  England  by  the 
first  Henry  Comly,  and  now  in  the  possession  of  Willet 
A.  Comly,  we  find  the  following  record  of  the  children  of 
(2)  Henry  and  Agnes  Comly:  Mary  Comly,  born  12th 
mo.  1 2th,  1699;  Henry  Comly,  born  2d  mo.  26th,  1702; 
Robert  Comly,  born  4th  mo.  12th,  1704;  John  Comly, 
born  3d  mo.  20th,  1706;  Joseph  Comly,  born  August  8, 
18 


274  THE  HISTORY  OF 

1708;  Walter  Comly,  born  November  12,  17 10;  Agnes 
Comly,  born  February  20,  171 3;  James  Comly,  born  June 
14,  1715;  Isaac  Comly,  born  June  4,  1717;  Grace  Comly, 
born  January  24,  1721. 

Henry  Comly  was  very  active  both  in  civil  and  religious 
matters,  and  his  name  frequently  appears  on  the  records 
of  the  Meeting  and  in  the  civil  afifairs  of  the  neighbor- 
hood. He  died  ist  mo.  (March)  i6th,  1727,  aged  53 
years.  His  will  was  dated  March  (ist  mo.)  13th,  1727, 
and  by  it  he  gave  his  farm  of  292  acres  in  Warminster 
to  his  sons  Robert  and  James.  The  Moreland  estate  was 
divided  among  Henry,  Joseph,  and  Walter,  and  the  farm 
adjoining,  now  owned  by  Benjamin  Tomlinson,  was  left 
to  John.  His  personal  property  was  appraised  2d  mo. 
13th,  1727,  by  Bartholomew  Longstreet  and  Joseph  Gil- 
bert, and  in  it  we  find  the  following  items:  "A  negro 
girl,  £20;  a  negro  boy,  £30." 

Agnes  (Heaton)  Comly  was  "a  woman  of  small  sta- 
ture, possessed  of  a  good  stock  of  common  sense,  and 
quite  active  even  in  advanced  life,  so  that  she  could  per- 
form the  duties  of  her  household  or  ride  on  horseback 
with  nearly  as  much  ease  as  in  her  youthful  days."  She 
died  loth  mo.  (December)  30th,  1743,  aged  66  years. 
Her  will  is  dated  20th  of  December  (loth  mo.),  1743.  In 
the  appraisement  of  her  property  we  find:  "One  negro, 
Phillis,  £28;  a  negro  boy,  Wallis,  £14." 

DESCENDANTS  OF  MARY,  DAUGHTER  OF  HENRY  AND  AGNES 

COMLY. 

(i.)  Mary  Comly  married,  first,  Thomas  Harding, 
and  settled  near  the  Buck,  in  Bucks  County.     Children: 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  275 

Mary,  Thomas,  Henry,  John,  Abraham,  and  Isaac.  She 
married,  second,  George  Randall,  in  1745.  Children: 
Jacob,  George,  Sarah,  and  Elizabeth. 

(2.)  Mary,  daughter  of  (i)  Mary,  married  Isaac 
Stackhouse,  of  Middletown,  in  1743.  She  died  3d  mo. 
4th,  1782.  Children:  Thomas,  Jonathan,  John,  Isaac, 
Ann,  and  Martha. 

Isaac  and  (2)  Mary  Stackhouse' s  Children. 

(3.)  Thomas,  married  Plannah  White.  Children: 
Thomas,  Isaac,  Mary,  and  Ann. 

(4.)  Jonathan,  married  Grace,  daughter  of  Stephen 
Comfort. 

(5.)  John,  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Jonathan 
Knight,  in  1781. 

(6.)  Isaac,  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Townsend,  in  1782. 

(7.)  Ann,  married  John  Gilbert,  in  1768;  died  Janu- 
ary, 1839. 

(8.)   Mart?ia,  died  single,  3d  mo.  4th,  1782. 

descendants  of  henry,  son  of  henry  and  AGNES 
COMLY. 

(t.)  Henry  Comly,  married  Phebe,  daughter  of  Jos- 
eph Gilbert,  of  Byberry,  7th  mo.  26th,  1728,  and  settled 
on  the  old  homestead  in  Moreland.  He  died  9th  mo.  21st, 
1772,  aged  71  years,  and  Phebe  died  2d  mo.  14th,  1773, 
aged  72  years.  Children:  Mary,  Rachel,  Henry,  Phebe, 
Joseph,  Jonathan  and  Joshua  (twins),  and  Rebecca. 


276  THE  HISTORY  OF 

I 

( I . )  Henry  and  Phebe  Comly's  Children. 

(2.)   Mary,  born  7th  mo.  23d,  1730;  died  5th  mo.  8th, 

1750. 

(3.)   Rachel,  born  loth  mo.  25th,  1732;  died  single, 

8th  mo.  6th,  1797. 

(4.)  Henry,  born  3d  mo.  .7th,  1734,  married  Rachel 
Strickland.  Children:  Jonathan,  Mary  (who  died  in  in- 
fancy), Phebe,  Mary,  Rachel,  and  Sarah. 

(5.)  Phebe,  born  2d  mo.  15th,  1737,  married  John 
Swift,  in  1764.  She  had  one  son,  Edward,  who  died  of 
typhus  fever  12th  mo.  28th,  181 3,  leaving  a  widow  and 
several  children.  Phebe  died  ist  mo.  2d,  18 14,  aged 
nearly  y6  years. 

(6.)  Joseph,  born  3d  mo.  loth,  1740,  married  Eleanor 
Buzby.  In  the  Revolutionary  War  he  joined  the  British, 
and  in  consequence,  had  to  leave  the  neighborhood.  He 
went  to  Long  Island,  where  he  died  at  Thomas  Hallefs 
house,  8th  mo.  loth,  1788.  It  is  believed  that  his  estate 
was  confiscated.  Children:  Jesse,  and  Henry  and  Jacob 
(twins). 

(7.)  Jonathan,  born  ist  mo.  25th,  1741,  married 
Rachel,  daughter  of  Jonathan  Thomas,  in  1767.  They 
first  settled  on  property  now  owned  by  Benjamin  Tom- 
linson,  but  in  1788  went  to  Philadelphia.  In  1795  they 
returned  to  the  farm  in  Moreland,  where  Rachel  died  4th 
mo.  i8th,  1804.  Children:  Thomas,  Grace,  Henry  (all 
of  whom  probably  died  young),  Jonathan,  Joshua,  and 
Elizabeth. 

(8.)  Joshua,  born  ist  mo.  25th,  1741,  married  Cath- 
arine, daughter  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  Willet,  in  1766. 


WATSON   COMLY. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  2JJ 

He  was  very  useful  in  the  affairs  of  the  neighborhood, 
and  was  for  many  years  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  in  which 
position  his  correct  judgment  and  honesty  of  purpose 
gained  him  many  friends.  He  died  4th  mo.  20th,  1830, 
aged  89  years;  and  Catharine,  his  wife,  died  7th  mo. 
30th,  1826,  aged  "jd  years.  Children :  Rebecca,  Elizabeth. 
Mary,  Phebe,  Hannah,  Margaret,  Joshua  and  Samuel 
(twins),  Elizabeth,  James,  Willet,  and  Franklin. 

(9O  Rebecca,  born  8th  mo.  6th,  1746;  no  further  ac- 
coimt. 

(4.)  Henry  and  Rachel  Comly's  Children. 

(10.)  Jonathan,  was  born  12th  mo.  3d,  1756.  He 
was  thrown  from  his  horse  while  a  young  man,  by  which 
his  faculties  were  injured.  He  remained  smgle,  and  died 
at  his  uncle  Joshua  Comly's  house  9th  mo.  26th,  1822. 

(11.)  Phebe,  born  12th  mo.  loth,  1758,  married  Rob- 
ert Field.    Children :  Benjamin  and  Levi. 

(12.)  Mary,  born  ist  mo.  26th,  1761,  married  Hum- 
phrey Waterman.  She  died  8th  mo.  27th,  1817.  leaving 
one  son,  Gilbert. 

(13.)  Rachel,  born  nth  mo.  29th,  1766,  married  Fli 
Shoemaker.  She  wa$  an  authoress,  and  contributed  sev- 
eral poetical  essays  to  the  "Saturday  Evening  Post."  over 
the  signature  of  "Ellen."  A  volume  of  her  essays,  called 
"The  Minstrel's  Lyre,"  was  published  in  Philadelphia  in 
1827. 

(14.)  Sarah,  born  8th  mo.  17th,  1768,  married  James 
Cooper,  uncle  of  James  Fennimore  Cooper,  in  1792.  They 
removed  to  the  northern  part  of  the  State  of  New  York. 
She  died  in  1827,  aged  59  years.    Children:  Courtland> 


278  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Comly,  William,  James,  Henry,  Sarah  Ami,  Hamilton,. 
George,  and  Strickland. 

(6.)  Joseph  and  Eleanor  Comly' s  Children. 

(15.)  Jesse,  married  Tacy  Buzby  and  settled  on  a  part 
of  the  old  Comly  tract  in  Moreland,  where  he  died  nth 
mo.  18,  1832.  Children:  William  B.,  Eleanor,  Courtland, 
Benjamin,  Mary  Ann,  Jackson  P.,  and  Robert. 

(16.)  Henry,  married  Rebecca,  daughter  of  General 
Worrell,  of  Frankford.  He  died  5th  mo.  17th,  1822. 
Children :  James,  Elizabeth,  Isaac,  Eleanor,  and  Joseph  H. 

(17.)  Jacob,  left  no  children. 

(7.)  Jonathan  and  Rachel  Comly' s  Children. 

(18.)  Jonathan,  married  Elizabeth  Blakey,  and  had 
one  son,  William.  They  resided  for  several  years  where 
Benjamin  Tomlinson  now  lives,  but  afterwards  settled 
in  Byberry.  He  was  a  man  of  uprightness  and  integrity,, 
and  was  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  remark- 
ably even-tempered,  and  in  his  latter  days  never  appeared 
to  be  discomposed  or  irritated.  He  said  that  he  did  not 
meet  with  anything  worth  being  angry  about.  The  har- 
mony which  existed  between  him  and  his  twin  brother 
Joshua  was  such,  that  for  many  years,  seldom  a  day  pass- 
ed without  their  being  together.  He  died  4th  mo.  16th, 
1826,  aged  84  years,  and  was  buried  at  Byberry. 

(19.)  Joshua,     married  .     Children:     Jonathan, 

Thomas,  George  W.,  and  Harriet. 

(20.)  Elizabeth,  married  Dr.  John  Worthingtoft. 
Children:  Rachel,  who  married  Amos  Wilson;  Robert; 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  2/9 

Mary  Elizabeth,  who  married  Samuel  Williams ;  and  Jon- 
athan, who  was  drowned  at  Bridgewater. 

(8.)  Joshua  and  Catharine  Comly's  Children. 

(21.)  Rebecca,  born  2d  mo.  5th,  1767;  died  2d  mo. 
1st,  1768. 

(22.)  Elizabeth,  born  12th  mo.  28th,  1769;  died  6th 
mo.  2 1  St,  1784. 

(23.)  Mary,  born  ist  mo.  13th,  1772;  died  9th  mo. 
1 2th,  1792. 

(24.)  Phebe,  born  8th  mo.  19th,  1774,  married  Elijah 
Thomas.  Of  their  children,  Sarah  only  remains.  She 
married  John  Walton,  who  owns  the  mill  at  Huntingdon 
Valley.  Phebe  was  buried  at  Abington  nth  mo.'  22d, 
1843. 

(25.)  Hannah,  born  6th  mo.  2d,  1777,  married  Wal- 
ter Mitchell,  of  Middletown,  in  1799.  She  was  a  minis- 
ter in  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  died  in  Ohio.  Children : 
Charles,  who  was  a  member  of  Congress ;  Joshua,  James, 
Walter,  Mary,  Catharine,  and  Hannah. 

(26.)  Margaret,  born  8th  mo.  15th,  1780,  married 
Joseph  Ogelby,  and  settled  in  Lancaster.  Children: 
Charles,  Willet  Comly,  Joseph,  Joshua,  Samuel,  Franklin, 
Susan,  and  Mary. 

(2y.)  Joshua  and  Samuel  (twins),  were  born  nth 
mo.  28th,  1783.  Joshua  died  the  same  day.  Samuel  mar- 
ried Sarah,  daughter  of  Ryner  Lukens.  He  died  8th  mo. 
2d,  1835,  without  children. 

{2^,)  Elizabeth,  born  8th  mo.  28th,  1785;  died  same 
day. 


28o  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(29.)  James,  born  loth  mo.  23d,  1787,  married  Eliza 
Eyre,  and  first  settled  at  Walton's  Mill,  on  the  Penny- 
pack.  This  he  sold  in  1831,  and  bought  a  farm  near  the 
Fox-chase,  where  he  resided  until  his  death,  in  1837.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Pennsylvania  Legislature,  and  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  was  held  in  high  estimation  by 
those  who  knew  him.  Children :  Franklin  ( President  of 
the  North  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company),  Joshua, 
Samuel,  and  Sarah. 

(30.)   WiLLET,  born  1790;  died  8th  mo.  23d,  1797. 

(31.)  Franklin,  born  7th  mo.  i8th,  1794,  married 
first,  Mary  Austin,  in  1825,  and  settled  on  the  old  Comly 
homestead  in  IMoreland,  where  he  resided  during  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life.  Children :  Willet,  Ellen,  and  Anna. 
Mary  died  6th  mo.  25th,  1834,  and  in  1836  Franklin 
married,  second,  Martha  Downing,  of  Bristol.  He  was 
Prothonotary  of  the  District  Court  in  Philadelphia,  and 
for  many  years  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  President  of 
the  Independent  IMutual  Fire  Insurance  Company.  Few 
men  occupied  a  more  prominent  position  in  the  civil  and 
political  affairs  of  the  neighborhood,  and  none  were  more 
highly  respected  for  uprightness  and  integrity  than  Frank- 
lin Comly. 

DESCENDANTS  OF  ROBERT,  SON  OF  HENRY  AND  AGNES 
COMIA'. 

(i.)  Rob?:rt  Coa^.ly  was  born  in  Byberry,  in  1706. 
He  married  Jane  Cadwalader,  the  preacher,  at  Horsham, 
9th  mo.,  1727,  and  settled  in  Byberry,  where  he  remained 
until  1730.     He  then  moved  to  Warminster,  and  after- 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  28I 

wards  to  Horsham,  to  a  place  since  owned  by  Isaac  Parry. 
He  was  for  many  years  an  Overseer  in  Horsham  Meet- 
ing, and  was  a  much  respected  member.  He  died  3d  mo., 
1770,  aged  64  years.  Children:  Robert,  Agnes,  Jane, 
Grace,  Martha,  and  Mary. 

(i.)  Robert  and  Jane  Comly's  Children. 

(2.)  Robert,  born  loth  mo.,  1729,  married  Sarah 
Jones.  Children:  Ezra,  John,  Robert,  Nathan,  Clement, 
Sarah,  Agnes,  Jane,  Rebecca,  Charlotte,  Hannah,  Susan, 
and  Elizabeth. 

(3.)  Agnes,  married  Samuel  Shoemaker,  near  the  Bil- 
let, where  they  resided  62  years.  They  were  exemplary 
members  of  society,  and  having  abundant  means,  provid- 
ed for  many  destitute  orphans  and  others  in  needy  cir- 
cumstances. Robert  died  in  his  97th  year,  and  Agnes  in 
her  90th  year.    They  left  no  children. 

(4.)  Jane,  married  Nathan  Lukens.  Children :  Lydia, 
Abraham,  Agnes,  and  Nathan. 

(5.)  Grace,  married,  first,  Isaac  Parry,  of  Horsham. 
Children:  Amy,  Isaac,  Samuel,  Robert,  Joseph,  and 
Martha.  She  married,  second,  Samuel  Conard,  of  Hor- 
sham. She  died  of  cancer  at  Jesse  Wilson's,  in  Byberry, 
7th  mo.  22d,  1822,  aged  75  years. 

(6.)  Martha,  married,  first,  David  Parry.  They  lived 
at  Fair  Hill,  and  had  one  child,  David.  She  married, 
second,  John  Shoemaker,  of  Shoemakertown ;  no  chil- 
dren. David  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Mordecai 
Thomas,  of  Horsham,  leaving  five  children. 

(7.)   Mary,  married  Benjamin  Shoemaker,  of  Chelten- 


282  THE  HISTORY  OF 

ham.  She  died  3d  mo.  17th,  1793.  Children:  Levi  S.^ 
Robert,  Nathan,  Abraham,  Benjamin,  Amy,  Mary,  Sam- 
uel, Eli,  Jane,  Jacob,  Rebecca,  James,  and  Comly. 

(2.)  Robert  and  Sarah  Comly' s  Children. 

(8.)  Ezra,  married  Hannah  Iredell,  in  1779,  and  had 
sixteen  children :  Charles,  Sarah,  Hannah,  Robert,  Abra- 
ham, Gaynor,  Ezra,  Thomas,  Rachel,  Rebecca,  Tacy,  Ann, 
Iredell,  George,  Seth,  and  Martha.  Of  the  descendants 
of  Ezra  Comly  we  know  but  little.  His  son  Charles  was 
a  merchant  in  Philadelphia,  and  afterwards  moved  to 
Milton,  on  the  Susquehanna,  where  he  died  in  1840,  leav- 
ing the  following  children :  Lucy,  Joshua,  Charles,  Seth^ 
and  Aaron.  Ezra  died  at  his  son  Charles's,  in  1832,  aged 
78  years. 

(9.)  JoHr>r,  married  Martha  Shallcross,  and  settled  on 
the  Bristol  Road,  near  Frankford.  Children:  Samuel, 
John  W.,  Robert,  Thomas,  and  Joseph. 

(10.)  Robert,  went  with  the  refugees  to  Nova  Scotia, 
where  he  died  in  1837.  Children:  Robert,  John,  and 
Elizabeth. 

(11.)  Nathan,  married,  first,  Sarah  Kirk,  9th  mo., 
1 782,  and  lived  on  the  Welsh  Road,  near  Horsham.  Chil- 
dren :  Elizabeth,  Sarah,  who  married  John  Tyson,  Lydia, 
Agnes,  and  Jerusha,  who  married  Jesse  Tomlinson.  He 
married,  second,  Elizabeth  Marple,  9th  mo.,  1795.  Chil- 
dren :  Elizabeth,  who  married  Benjamin  Cadwalader ; 
Abner,  who  married  Margaret  Hallowell;  Lydia,  who 
married  Ezekiel  Tyson;  Hannah;  Nathan;  John  M.,  who 
married  Mary  Ann  Tyson;  Daniel,  who  married  Catha- 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  285 

rine  Fitzwater ;  and  Joseph,  who  married  Elizabeth  Cad- 
walader. 

(12.)  Clement^  married  Rebecca  Jones.  Children: 
Isaac,  Henry,  Ann,  Keziah,  Zebedee,  Sarah,  Clement,. 
Amos,  Joseph,  and  Alfred. 

(13.)  Sarah^  married  Isaac  Wood. 

(14.)  Agnes,  died  single. 

(15.)  Jane_,  married  Joseph  Ratcliff.  Children:  John, 
Robert,  Seth,  Rodolph,  William,  Sarah,  Rebecca,  and 
Susan. 

(16.)  Rebecca,  married  Dennis  Conard.  Children: 
Martha  and  George. 

(17.)  Charlotte,  married  Thomas  Ashton.  Chil- 
dren :  Sarah,  Mary,  Joseph,  and  Elizabeth. 

(18.)  Hannah,  married,  first,  John  Rush.  Children: 
Elizabeth,  Martha,  Sarah,  Hannah,  Louisa,  and  Mary. 
She  married,  second,  Ashton. 

(19.)  Susan,  married  Dr.  Van  Court,  but  had  na 
children. 

(20.)  Elizabeth,  married  Benjamin  Griffith.  Chil- 
dren :  Benjamin,  Samuel,  and  Comly. 

Nathan  and  (4)  Jane  Luken's  Children. 

(21.)  Lydia,  married  Thomas  Livezey,  of  Spring 
Mills,  Montgomery  County,  Pennsylvania. 

{22.)  Abraham,  married,  and  lived  in  Philadelphia. 

(23.)  Agnes,  married Jackson,  and  lived  in  Phil- 
adelphia. 

(24.)  Nathan,  married  Matilda  Bracken,  and  lived 
in  Horsham. 


284  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Isaac  and  ( 5  )  Grace  Parry's  Children. 

(25.)  Amy^  married  Jesse  Wilson.  Children:  Rachel, 
Elizabeth,  Amos,  Grace,  and  Jane. 

{26.)  IsAAC^  married  Ruth  Conard,  and  lived  in  Phila- 
delphia. 

{2y.)  Samuel,  married  Martha  Thomas,  and  had  one 
child,  Samuel. 

(28.)  Robert,  married,  first,  Sarah  Page;  second. 
Sarah  Pope. 

(29.)  Joseph,  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Naylor 
WebvSter.  He  first  settled  in  Horsham,  but  afterwards 
went  out  West. 

Benjamin  and  (7)  Mary  Shoemaker's  Children. 

(30.)  Nathan,  married  Sarah,  the  daughter  of  Solo- 
mon Miller.  He  was  a  tanner  by  trade.  They  left  seven 
-children. 

(31.)  Robert,  married  Martha  Leech,  and  lived  in 
Philadelphia.  He  died  in  early  life.  Children :  Richard 
M.,  and  two  others. 

(32.)  Benjamin,  married  Jane  Allen,  of  Bucks 
County,  and  left  four  children. 

(33.)  Amy,  married  Benjamin  Harper.  She  died 
young,  leaving  one  child. 

(34.)  Mary,  married  Thomas  Shoemaker.  Children: 
Dr.  N.  Shoemaker,  and  two  others. 

(35.)  Eli,  married  Rachel  Comly,  of  Byberry.  He 
died  young,  leaving  one  child. 

(36.)  Rebecca,  married  Atkinson  Rose,  and  left  three 
sons,  of  whom  John  S.  Rose,  of  Frankford,  was  one. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  285 

(37.)  CoMLYj  married  the  daughter  of  Albrick  Bird^ 
and  widow  of  George  Shoemaker,  Jr.,  but  had  no  chil- 
dren.   They  lived  near  Shoemakertown. 

(38.)  Jane,  married  x\nthony,  son  of  William  Hallo- 
well,  of  Abington.  Children:  Benjamin,  Mary  S.  (Lip- 
pincott),  Caleb,  James,  and  Joseph,  the  latter  two  de- 
ceased. 

(9.)  John  and  Martha  Comly's  Children. 

(39.)  Samuel,  established  the  Comlyville  Printworks, 
near  Frankford.  He  married  Elizabeth  Ann  FolwelL 
Children:  Nathan  Folwell,  Samuel,  Rebecca,  John,  Rob- 
ert, Thomas,  Joseph,  William  Folwell,  Stephen  Girard^ 
Mary  Pancoast,  and  Elizabeth  Ann. 

{-\o.')  Jo  TIN  W.,  moved  to  the  West. 

(41.)  Robert,  married  Esther  Shallcross,  and  lived  in 
Oxford  Township,  Philadelphia. 

(42.)  Thomas  and  Joseph,  deceased,  without  chil- 
dren. 

DESCENDANTS  OF  JOHN,  SON  OF  HENRY  AND  AGNES 
COMLY. 

(i.)  John  Comly  was  born  3d  mo.  20th,  1706.  He 
married  Hannah,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Mason,  of  Fair 
Hill,  4th  mo.  20th,  1728.  They  first  settled  on  the  farm 
now  owned  by  Benjamin  Tomlinson,  in  Moreland.^^  In 
1738  he  exchanged  with  his  brother,  James,  for  a  farm 
on  the  County  Line.  In  1754  he  obtained  a  certificate  for 
himself  and  family  to  Falls  Monthly  Meeting.  He  after- 
wards lived  on  Walter  Comly's  farm,  near  vSmithfield,. 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Barnard  Lawler. 


:?86  THE  HISTORY  OF 

and  subsequently  between  Frank  ford  and  Germantown, 
where  he  died,  ist  mo.  15th,  1761,  and  was  buried  at 
Frankford.  He  was  not  successful  in  business,  and  left 
l)ut  little  property  behind  him.  Hannah,  his  wife,  was 
born  3d  mo.  31st,  17 10,  and  died  at  the  residence  of  her 
son  Jacob,  in  Byberry,  12th  mo.  8th,  1782.  Children: 
Abigail,  Henry,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Agnes,  Jacob,  John, 
Hannah,  Mary,  Gaynor,  and  Susanna. 

(i.)  John  and  Hannah  Comly's  Children. 

(2.)  Abigail^  born  6th  mo.  i6th,  1730;  died  at  her 
iDrother's  residence  in  York  County,  6th  mo.  12th,  18 12. 

(3.)   Henry,  born  12th  mo.,  1731 ;  died  in  1756. 

(4.)  Abraham,,  born  12th  mo.,  1733,  was  married  in 
1763.  He  died  of  yellow  fever,  in  1793.  Children:  Ben- 
jamin and  John.  They  were  both  noted  as  skillful  water- 
men about  Camden  and  Cooper's  Point,  and  both  left  fam- 
ilies. 

(5.)  Isaac,  born  ist  mo.  13th,  1735,  married  Sarah 
Huston,  loth  mo.,  1761,  and  settled  near  Darby,  where 
he  died,  in  18 12.  Children:  Timothy,  John,  Isaac,  Jos- 
eph, Isaiah,  Israel,  Charles,  Mary,  and  Hannah. 

(6.)  Agnes,  born  3d  mo.  13th,  1738;  died  in  1760. 

(7.)  Jacob,  born  3d  mo.  17th,  1740,  married  Sarah 
Thornburg,  of  York  County,  Pennsylvania.  They  first 
lived  in  Philadelphia;  then  at  a  mill  on  the  Pennypack, 
and  next  on  a  farm  in  Byberry.  He  subsequently  re- 
moved to  Huntingdon,  in  York  County,  where  he  died, 
6th  mo.  2 1  St,  1 82 1,  aged  82  years.  His  wife  died  a  few 
years  previous.     Children :  Samuel,  Jesse,  and  Susanna. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  287 

(8.)  John,  born  ist  mo.   13th,   1743,  married  Mary 
— .    They  first  settled  in  Byberry,  but  afterwards  mov- 


€d  to  Drinker's  Alley,  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  died,  in 
1792,  aged  49  years.  Mary  died  nth  mo.  21st,  1819. 
Children :  David,  Richard,  Abigail,  and  Mary. 

(9.)   Hannah,  born  7th  mo.  nth,  1746;  died  in  1760. 

(10.)  Mary,  born  9th  mo.  9th,  1747,  married  - — ^ 
Robinson,  and  lived  in  Brewer's  Alley,  Philadelphia.  She 
died  1 2th  mo.  i,  1828,  aged  81  years,  leaving  one  child, 
Mary. 

(11.)   Gaynor,  born  7th  mo.  15th,  1751 ;  died  young. 

(12.)  Susanna,  lx)rn  5th  mo.  4th,  1753,  married 
Christopher  Smith,  a  schoolmaster,  in  1780,  and  died  the 
next  year. 

(5.)  Isaac  and  Sarah  Comly's  Children. 

(13.)  John,  died  of  small-pox,  aged  22  years,  leaving 
one  daughter. 

(14.)  Isaac,  died  at  Plymouth,  in  181 2,  leaving  sev- 
eral children. 

(15.)   Mary,  married Perot. 

(16.)   Hannah,  married  Lawrence  Lowry. 

(7.)  Jacob  and  Sarah  Comly's  Children. 

(17.)  Samuel,  married  Susanna  Wireman.  He  re- 
moved to  Washington  County,  Pennsylvania,  in  1837, 
and  remained  there  until  his  death.  His  children  were 
Sarah,  Ezra,  Hannah,  Phebe,  Lydia,  William,  and  Isaac. 

(18.)  Jesse,  married  Naomi  Howell.  He  removed  to 
Juniata  in  1833.  Children:  Jacob,  Joseph,  Benjamin, 
Samuel,  Ellen,  Jesse,  and  John. 


288  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(19.)   Susanna,  married Wierman.     Children: 

Thomas,  PTannah,  and  Sarah. 

DESCENDANTS  OF  JOSEPH,   SON   OF   HENRY  AND  AGNES 

COMLY. 

(i.)  Joseph  Comly,  was  born  8th  mo.  8th,  1708.  He 
married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Mason,  and 
settled  in  Moreland,  on  a  farm  lately  owned  by  Judge 
Sommer,^^  about  1730.  He  was  remarkably  healthy, 
and  was  never  sick  except  it  was  for  a  few  days  previous 
to  his  death.  He  was  very  fond  of  strong  drink,  and  fre- 
quently drank  a  quart  of  rum  at  one  time  without  becom- 
ing intoxicated.  This  he  always  called  "small  beer."  He 
wore  stockings  without  any  feet,  and  went  without  a  coat 
or  upper  jacket  in  winter  time.  He  removed  to  Gun- 
powder, Md.,  and  not  asking  for  a  certificate  from  By- 
berry  Monthly  Meeting,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  they, 
in  1759,  sent  one  after  him.  Previous  to  this  time  he  had 
sold  his  farm,  and  in  old  age  owned  no  property.  In 
1774,  he  went  to  Joshua  Comly's  house  apparently  in 
good  health,  but  said  he  was  come  to  die  in  his  old  lodg- 
ing-room over  the  kitchen.  Shortly  afterward  he  was 
taken  sick,  and  died  in  about  four  weeks  from  the  time 
of  his  arrival  there,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  During 
his  illness  his  mind  was  composed,  and  he  had  no  fear 
of  death.  He  said  he  never  swore  an  oath  in  his  life, 
never  wronged  any  man  out  of  a  penny,  and  never  told 
a  falsehood  to  the  injury  of  any  person.  Some  who  were 
well  acquainted  with  him  said  they  had  no  reason  to 

"This  is  now  the  residence  of  Enoch  Taylor. 


•  BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  289 

doubt  his  assertions.  How  many  who  have  made  far 
greater  pretensions  towards  possessing  religion  than  he, 
could  with  truth  adopt  the  language  of  Joseph  Comly? 
He  was  very  strong:  could  put  a  barrel  of  cider  in  a 
wagon  with  ease,  and  take  one  that  was  full  on  his  knees 
and  drink  out  of  the  bung.  His  vocal  powers  were  aston- 
ishing. On  one  occasion  some  of  his  family  started  to 
go  to  market  in  the  night,  but  after  they  had  gone  some 
time  the  old  man  recollected  he  had  forgotten  to  send 
for  a  keg  of  nails  by  them;  he,  therefore,  called  to  them 
and  mentioned  what  he  wanted.  They  heard  him,  al- 
though three  miles  off,  and  attended  to  his  request.  When 
going  to  visit  his  relations  he  would,  when  within  about 
two  miles,  call  to  them,  that  they  might  know  he  was  com- 
ing. He  was  a  great  walker,  and  always  went  to  Gun- 
powder on  foot,  which  he  called  an  evening's  walk.  When 
making  the  journey  he  carried  his  bread,  cheese,  and  a 
bottle  of  rum,  and  ate,  drank,  and  slept  by  the  roadside. 
His  wife  died  about  1757,  and  he  died  6th  mo.  21,  1774, 
aged  66  years. 

(i.)  Joseph  and  Elisabeth  Comly's  Children. 

(2.)   Agnes^  born  4th  mo.  2d,   1732,  married  Evan 
Roberts. 

(3.)   Abigail^  born  8th  mo.  15th,  1733,  married  David 
Hallowell. 

(4.)  Joseph,  born  ist  mo.  9th,  1735,  married  Rachel 
Edwards,  and  had  one  daughter,  "Dumb  Becky."  He 
was  a  soldier  in  the  French  and  Indian  War  in  1755,  but 
escaped  unhurt.  He  died  in  Byberry  2d  mo.  19th,  181 1. 
Rachel  died  4th  mo.  9th,  181 5. 
19 


290  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(5.)  Richard,  born  4th  mo.  ist,  1737,  was  a  soldier 
in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  and  during  the  famous 
retreat  of  Braddock  was  taken  sick.  He  was  left  sitting 
on  a  log,  and  was  never  heard  of  afterwards. 

(6.)  Susanna,  born  5th  mo.  15th,  1740,  married  Sam- 
uel Shute.    She  died  in  1802. 

(7.)  Walter,  born  nth  mo.  13th,  1742;  no  further 
account. 

(8.)  Benjamin,  born  2d  mo.  17th,  1744;  no  further 
account. 

(9.)  Elizabeth,  born  ist  mo.  Sth,  1746,  married  Ben- 
jamin Tomlinson,  and  moved  to  Huntingdon,  York 
County,  Pa.,  where  she  died  in  1817,  aged  70  years. 

(10.)  Sarah,  born  12th  mo.  28th,  1748:  died  single, 
4th  mo.  9th,  1 8 10,  aged  60  years. 

descendants    of    WALTER,    SON    OF    HENRY    AND    AGNES 

COMLY. 

(i.)  Walter  Comly  married  Susanna,  daughter  of 
Benjamin  Mason,  ist  mo.,  1731.  He  settled  on  a  farm  in 
Moreland,  now  owned  by  John  Lingerman,  but  after- 
wards purchased  the  farm  back  of  Somerton,  now  be- 
longing to  William  T.  Ervin,  where  he  died  3d  mo.  20th, 
1759,  aged  49  years.  Susanna,  his  widow,  married  Wil- 
liam Walmsley,  6th  mo.,  1764.  She  died  5th  mo.  30th, 
1795,  aged  81  years,  having  been  an  Elder  in  Byberry 
meeting  forty-two  years. 

(i.)  Walter  and  Susanna  Comly' s  C hud) en. 

(2.)  Walter;  no  account. 
(3.)   Susanna;  no  account. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  29 1 

(4.)  Thomas,  who  died  young 

(5.)  Martha,  born  ist  mo.  20th,  1746,  married  Silas 
Vv^'alinbley,  6th  mo.,  1765.  Children:  William,  Jesse,  and 
Silas 

Silas  and  (5)  Martha  Walmsley's  Children. 

(6.)  William,  born  7th  mo.  i8th,  1766,  married,  first, 
Phebe,  daughter  of  Giles  Knight.  She  died  8th  mo.  18th, 
1808.  Children:  Silas,  Ann,  and  Martha.  William  mar- 
ried, second,  Margery,  daughter  of  Evan  Townsend. 
Children:  Robert  and  Jesse. 

(7.)  Jesse,  married  Mary,  daughter  of  James  Paul. 
Children :  Martha,  James,  Susanna,  Elizabeth,  Ezra,  Han- 
nah, and  Mary. 

DESCENDANTS  OF  AGNES,  DAUGHTER  OF  HENRY  AND  AGNES 

COMLY. 

(i.)  Agnes  Comi,y,  married  Nicholas  Randall,  in 
1738.  They  lived  on  Duffield's  farm  in  Moreland  for  sev- 
eral years.  She  died,  Qth  mo.  22d,  1779,  and  he  died  in 
1783.  Children:  Comly,  Thomas,  Jonathan,  Nathan, 
Rachel,  Thomas,  Mary,  and  Nicholas. 

Nicholas  and  (i)  Agnes  Randall's  Children. 

(2.)  CoMLY,  born  12th  mo.  9th,  1738;  married  Mary 
Phinny,  in  1753.  Children,  Agnes,  Martha,  and  Jonathan. 
(3.)  Thomas,  born  8th  mo.  loth,  1740,  died  in  1743. 
(4.)  Jonathan,  born  3d  mo.  17th,  1742,  died  in  1748. 
(5.)  Natpian,  born  8th  mo.  12th,  1743,  died  in  1748. 
{6.)   xvAchel,  born  nth  mo.  21st,  1745,  died  in  1748. 


292  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(7.)   Thomas,  born  5th  mo.  13th,  1748,  died  in  1783. 

(8.)  Mary,,  born  12th  mo.  22d,  175 1,  married  Joshua 
Gilbert  in  1771.  They  settled  on  a  farm  in  Byberry,  now 
owned  by  Thomas  Tames.  Mary  died  3d  mo.  13th,  ]8i2, 
aged  60  years,  and  Joshua  died  6th  mo.  18th,  1833,  ^g^^ 
^6  years.  Children:  Phehe,  Benjamin,  Tacy,  Thomas, 
Joshua,  David,  Beulah,  Agnes,  and  Ezra. 

(9.)  Nicholas,  married  Hannah,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Townsend.  Children:  Thomas,  Jesse,  Agnes,  who  mar- 
ried Jacob  Myers,  and  Mary,  who  married  David  Clay- 
ton. 

descendants  of  JAMES,  SON  OF  HENRY  AND  AGNES 
COMLY. 

(i.)  James  Comly,  married  Mary,  daughter  of  John 
Paul,  in  1738.  Mary  was  born  ist  mo.  28th,  17 18.  She 
was  an  approved  minister  in  the  Society  of  Friends.  They 
first  settled  in  Warminster,  but  in  1758  removed  to  Gun- 
powder, Maryland.  After  the  death  of  James,  Mary  re- 
turned to  Byberry,  where  she  frequently  preached.  Chil- 
dren: Jacob,  James,  David,  Jonathan,  John,  Rachel,  and 
Mary. 

(i.)  James  and  Mary  Comly's  Children. 

(2.)  Jacob,  born  nth  mo.  8th,  returned  from  Mary- 
land in  1770,  and  married  Rachel,  widow  of  his  cousin, 
Henry  Comly.  For  many  years  he  kept  a  hotel  on  the 
turnpike  below  Somerton,  late  the  Leedom  estate. ^^  He 
afterwards  moved  to  Philadelphia,  and,  with  the  consent 
of  such  heirs  as  could  be  found,  obtained  the  city  lot 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Harry  Roberts. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  293 

granted  to  Henry  Comly  by  William  Penn.  He  died  near 
Abington,  9th  mo.  21st,  1825,  aged  87  years,  leaving  no 
children. 

(3.)  James^  married  Charity  Hooker  of  Maryland. 
Children :  John ;  Mary,  who  married  Nicholas  Merryman, 
of  Jefferson  County,  Ohio ;  Joshua,  who  moved  to  Madi- 
son, Indiana ;  Charity,  who  married  Mordecai  Price,  near 
Baltimore,  Maryland;  David,  who  died  near  Baltimore; 
Nancy,  who  married Pettyf ord,  of  Baltimore ;  Eliza- 
beth and  Dobino,  both  deceased ;  Sabret  and  James,  who 
married  daughters  of  David  Comly,  near  Lancaster,  Ken- 
tucky ;  Sally,  married Doughty ;  Rachel,  married  to 

Johnson ;  and  Eleanor,  who  married  her  cousin  Absalom, 
of  Madison,  Indiana. 

(4.)  David,  moved  to  Madison,  Indiana.  Children: 
John,  Absalom,  James,  and  three  daughters. 

(5.)  Jonathan,  died  unmarried. 

(6.)  John,  moved  to  Ohio.  Children:  Rachel,  Mary, 
Hannah,  Sarah,  Eleanor,  Rebecca,  James,  John,  Joshua, 
and  David. 

descendants  of  ISAAC,  SON  OF  HENRY  AND  AGNES  COMLY. 

(i.)  Isaac  Comly,  was  born  in  Moreland,  in  1717. 
He  married  Abigail,  daughter  of  Thomas  Walmsley,  2d 
mo.,  1738,  and  settled  in  the  village  of  Smithfield.  He 
lived  in  a  hip-roofed  house,  which  had,  on  a  stone  in  the 
wall  near  the  door,  the  inscription,  "I.  C,  1744."  This 
house  was  removed  only  a  few  years  since,  having  stood 
nearly  one  hundred  years.     They  afterward  moved  to  a 


294  THE  HISTORY  OF 

place  near  the  present  residence  of  Silas  Vanarsdalen/^ 
where  Isaac  died,  in  1748,  aged  thirty-three  years. 

He  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  and  followed  that  busi- 
ness through  life.  His  children  were  Agnes ;  Isaac,  born 
in  1 74 1,  died  in  1743;  Isaac,  and  William.  Abigail,  his 
widow,  married  Richard  Walton,  in  1753.  Children: 
Joseph,  born  in  1754,  and  Esther,  born  in  1755. 

(i.)  Isaac  and  Abigail  Comly's  Children. 

(2.)  Agnes,  born  nth  mo.  2d,  1738,  married  John 
Duncan,  in  1759.  He  died  loth  mo.  6th,  1772,  aged  51 
years.  Children:  Abigail,  Rachel,  Esther,  and  Phebe. 
In  1793,  Agnes  married  Andrew  Singley,  of  White  Sheet 
Bay,  on  the  Delaware.  He  died  in  18 14,  aged  72  years; 
and  Agnes  died  in  1821,  aged  83  years. 

(3.)  Isaac,  was  born  at  Smithfield,  9th  mo.  25th,  1743. 
When  about  five  years  old  he  lost  his  father.  After  this 
event  he  and  his  mother  went  to  live  with  her  father  on  the 
farm  lately  owned  by  Charles  Walmsley.  In  1753,  his 
mother  married  Richard  W^alton,  and  he  resided  in  that 
family  until  1771,  when  he  married  Asenath,  daughter  of 
John  and  Ann  Hampton,  of  Wrightstown.  They  took  a 
farm  in  the  western  part  of  Byberry,  where  they  resided 
two  years,  after  which  they  purchased  of  Thomas  Knight 
a  farm  of  about  one  hundred  and  forty  acres,  near  the 
centre  of  Byberry,  where  they  permanently  settled.  By 
a  regular  course  of  industry  and  economy,  Isaac  and 
Asenath  Comly  accumulated  considerable  property  and 
brought  up  a  large  family  of  children,  most  of  whom  have 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Albert  Buckman. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  295 

since  figured  conspicuously  in  the  affairs  of  the  township 
of  Byberry.  Isaac  Comly  was  not  ambitious  of  fame,  and 
never  sought  after  popularity,  his  object  being  to  attend 
to  his  own  business,  leaving  to  others  the  cares  and  re- 
sponsibilities of  public  life.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
religious  Society  of  Friends,  and  always  bore  an  unex- 
ceptionable character  among  them.  His  wife  was  an 
Elder  in  the  Meeting,  and  was  much  respected.  Their 
children  were  Martha,  John,  Joseph,  Isaac,  Ezra,  Ethan, 
and  Jason.  He  died  8th  mo.  3d,  1822,  aged  seventy-nine; 
and  his  wife  3  mo.  3d,  1826,  aged  seventy-seven  years. 

(3.)  Isaac  and  Asenath  Comly' s  Children. 

(4.)  Martha,  born  12th  mo.  29th,  1771,  married  Evan 
T.  Knight.  They  lived  in  Bensalem,  where  he  died  2d 
mo.  6th,  1841 ;  and  she  died  7th  mo.  29th,  1851.  Children: 
Isaac  and  Phebe. 

(5.)  John,  was  born  in  Byberry,  nth  mo.  19th,  1773. 
He  was  carefully  brought  up  according  to  the  rules  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  and  at  an  early  age,  while  yet  a 
school-boy,  manifested  a  great  interest  in  the  Society,  and 
exhibited  those  traits  of  humility  and  tenderness  which  so 
eminently  characterized  him  through  life.  In  1792  he 
was  placed  under  Samuel  Jones,  the  Baptist  minister  at 
Pennypack,  to  study  the  Latin  and  Greek  languages, 
where  he  remained  until  the  spring  of  1794.  He  then 
engaged  as  a  teacher  in  Byberry  School,  where  he  con- 
tinued until  1 80 1,  when  he  resigned,  and  from  a  sense  of 
duty  engaged  as  a  teacher  in  Westtown  Boarding  School. 
In  1802  he  resigned  that  situation  and  returned  to  his 


296  THE  HISTORY  OF 

native  place,  and  in  the  following  spring  again  took  charge 
of  Byberry  School.  In  6th  mo.  1803,  he  married  Rebecca, 
daughter  of  Dr.  Stacy  Budd,  of  Mount  Holly,  N.  J.,  and 
settled  on  a  farm  lately  purchased  in  Byberry.  In  1804 
he  opened  a  boarding-school  for  girls  at  his  residence, 
which  was  successfully  continued  until  18 10,  and  was  then 
changed  into  a  school  for  boys  and  young  men,  and  con- 
tinued till  181 5.  His  literary  works  are  as  follows  :  "Eng- 
lish Grammar,"  published  in  1803;  ''Spelling  Rook,"  in 
1806;  'Trimer,"  in  1807;  and  ''Reader  and  book  of  Use- 
ful Knowledge,",  in  1840.  Some  of  these  have  passed 
through  several  editions,  and  still  have  an  extensive  sale 
throughout  the  whole  country.  He  was  also  the  author  of 
several  essays  upon  moral  subjects,  which  were  published 
in  the  journals  of  that  day.  He  was  subsequently  en- 
gaged, along  with  his  brother  Isaac,  in  publishing  a 
periodical  called  "Friends'  Miscellany,"  which  was  con- 
tinued through  a  series  of  years,  and  has  been  the  means 
of  preserving  many  valuable  records,  biographical 
sketches,  historical  notes,  and  other  matters  of  peculiar 
interest.  John  Comly  appeared  as  a  minister  in  the  So- 
ciety of  Friends  in  1810;  and  his  labors  being  approved 
by  the  Monthly  Meeting,  he  was  recommended  in  181 3. 
Besides  his  services  at.  home,  he  frequently  made  religious 
visits,  which  extended  to  New  England,  New  York,  Ohio, 
Maryland,  and  other  places,  and  which  tended  greatly  to 
inculcate  the  peaceable  principles  of  Friends.  Several  of 
his  sermons  were  stenographically  reported  by  Marcus  T. 
Gould,  and  afterward  published.  He  was  also  eminently 
useful  as  a  surveyor,  and  was  often  able  to  satisfactorily 
settle  conflicting  claims  and  disputes  among  his  neighbors. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  29/ 

He  died  at  his  residence  in  Byberry,  8th  mo.  17th,  1850, 
after  an  illness  of  only  a  few  hours,  aged  nearly  y^j  years. 
His  wife  died  8th  mo.  9th,  1832.^^ 

Their  children  were  Stacy,  Ann,  Charles,  Sarah,  and 
Emmor. 

(6.)  Joseph,  was  born  in  Byberry,  12th  mo.  i6th, 
1775.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  which  business 
he  followed  for  several  years,  and  afterward  settled  on 
a  part  of  his  father's  farm.  In  1800  he  built  a  commod- 
ious house,  the  one  now  occupied  by  his  son,  Watson 
Comly;  and  in  the  latter  part  of  the  same  year  was  mar- 
ried to  x\bigail,  daughter  of  Jonathan  Parry.  She  died 
in  1805.  Children:  Asenath,  Phebe,  and  James.  In  1807 
he  married  Rachel,  daughter  of  Dr.  John  Watson,  of 
Buckingham.  He  had  a  taste  for  mechanical  pursuits, 
and  was  the  first  to  introduce  several  important  improve- 
.ments,  in  those  matters,  into  the  townships.  He  became 
quite  noted  for  moving  buildings,  such  as  houses,  barns, 
etc. ;  and,  from  a  record  kept  by  him,  he  moved  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty-five  buildings  in  the  course  of  twenty  years. 
He  published  several  essays  in  the  Evening  Fireside  and 
other  periodicals,  wrote  several  journals  of  his  travels, 
and  collected  considerable  historical  matter  of  local  inter- 
est. He  was  a  very  useful  man,  and  highly  respected  by 
all  who  knew  him.  He  died  in  Byberry,  2d  mo.  5th, 
1854,  aged  78  years.     His  wife.  Rachel,  died  2d  mo.  3d, 

1839. 

(7.)  Isaac,  born  in  Byberry,  3d  mo.  21st,  1779.     He 

"John  Comly  kept  a  journal  or  diary  of  his  travels  which  was 
published  after  his  death.  It  contains  many  interesting  facts  relat- 
ing to  Byberry. 


298  THE  HISTORY  OF 

was  apt  at  learning  while  a  youth ;  and,  without  any  other 
advantages  than  those  afforded  by  the  neighboring  school,, 
fitted  himself  for  the  duties  of  a  teacher.  In  1794  he  com- 
menced as  an  usher  under  his  brother  John,  at  Byberry, 
and  in  1797  engaged  as  an  assistant  with  Samuel  Com- 
fort, of  Middletown.  He  remained  here  until  3d  mo., 
1798,  when  he  took  charge  of  the  school  at  Buckingham 
for  one  year.  He  removed  to  Horsham  in  1799,  and  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  same  year  to  Ancocas,  New  Jersey,, 
where  he  continued  teaching  school  for  two  years.  Dur- 
ing part  of  1 80 1  he  taught  at  Mansfield's  Neck;  and  in 
1802  took  a  school  at  Newton,  New  Jersey,  where  he 
remained  until  1809,  when  he  relinquished  the  business. 
He  then  spent  some  time  in  traveling;  and  in  181 1  was 
married  to  Meribah,  daughter  of  John  and  Rebecca  Bar- 
ton, of  Newton,  New  Jersey.  Soon  after  his  marriage 
he  opened  a  store  in  Byberry,  which  was  continued  until 
about  1822,  when  he  moved  to  the  old  homestead,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  tilling  the  soil.  He 
was  a  clerk  at  Byberry  Monthly  Meeting  for  many  years, 
and  afterward  an  Elder.  As  a  writer,  he  ranks  second  to 
none  who  has  ever  resided  in  the  townships,  his  informa- 
tion extending  to  nearly  every  branch  of  literature;  and 
his  numerous  essays,  prose  and  poetical,  which  were  pub- 
lished in  several  of  the  best  periodicals  of  the  day,  and 
which  were  extensively  copied,  exhibit  a  talent  of  no 
ordinary  merit.  Among  those  articles  we  notice  many 
sketches  of  these  townships,  and  it  is  to  Isaac  Comly  that 
we  are  indebted  for  much  of  the  present  history.  Besides 
these  fugitive  pieces,  he  published  a  reading  book  for 
schools,  entitled  "Easy  Lessons  for  Juvenile  Readers,"  in 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  299 

1807;  the  ^Thiladelphia  Primer,"  in  1808;  "A  New  As- 
sistant," in  1809,  and  was  one  of  the  editors  of  the 
"Friends*  Miscellany."  His  great  delight,  however, 
seems  to  have  been  among  the  musty  records  of  bygone- 
times;  and  to  hunt  up  and  note  down  every  particular 
relative  to  family  and  local  history,  was  one  of  the  chief 
employments  of  his  life.  He  collected  much  toward  a 
history  of  his  native  and  surrounding  townships,  and 
traced  out  the  genealogy  of  many  of  the  most  prominent 
families  who  have  resided  in  the  vicinity.  He  was  fre- 
quently applied  to  by  those  wishing  information  of  this 
kind,  and  they  were  seldom  disappointed.  Being  of  an 
amiable  disposition,  and  just  in  his  dealings,  he  was  hon- 
ored and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  The  even  tenor 
of  his  life  was  rarely  disturbed  by  surrounding  circum- 
stances, and  he  passed  through  the  scenes  of  this  world  in 
peace  and  contentment.  He  died  at  his  farm  in  Byberry, 
loth  mo.  19th,  1847,  aged  69  years.  His  widow  died 
nth  mo.  8th,  1862.    Children:  Mary  and  Robert. 

(8.)  Ezra,  born  in  Byberry,  9th  mo.  3d,  1781.  He 
married  Sarah  Strickland,  in  1804.  He  resided  in  By- 
berry for  several  years,  after  which  he  moved  to  Black 
River,  in  the  northern  part  of  New  York.  In  18 —  he 
returned  to  Byberry,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life. 
He  died  8th  mo.  27th,  1863 ;  and  Sarah  died  ist  mo.  17th,. 
1855.    Children:  Elizabeth  and  Isaac. 

(9.)  Ethan^  born  5th  mo.  31st,  1784,  remained  in 
Byberry  until  1804,  when  he  removed  to  Philadelphia  and 
became  a  merchant.  He  wrote  several  excellent  miscel- 
laneous articles  for  the  public  papers.  On  account  of  an 
affection  of  the  spine,  he  was  induced  to  cultivate  his  taste 


300  THE  HISTORY  OF 

for  drawing,  so  that  he  acquired  very  great  skill  and  pro- 
ficiency in  that  art.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Academy 
of  Fine  Arts  in  Philadelphia,  and  was  much  respected  by 
all  who  knew  him.  He  died  6th  mo.  13th,  1865.  Children: 
Allen,  Eliza,  and  Henry. 

DESCENDANTS  OF  GRACE,  DAUGHTER  OF  HENRY  AND  AGNES 

COMLY. 

(i.)  Grace  Comly,  married,  first,  Benjamin,  son  of 
John  Cadwalader,  the  preacher,  in  1742,  and  settled  on 
a  farm  adjoining  Horsham  Meeting-house.  Benjamin 
died  4th  mo.  14th,  1753.  Children:  Rachel,  Phebe,  Ben- 
jamin, and  Cyrus.  Grace  married,  second,  Benjamin 
Powers.  She  died  ist  mo.,  1800,  aged  79  years.  Children 
by  her  last  husband,  Mary  and  Grace. 

Benjamin  and  ( i )  Grace  Cadwalader^ s  Children. 

(2.)  Rachel,  born  6th  mo.  9th,.  I743;  died  while 
young. 

(3.)  Phebe,  born  8th  mo.  19th,  1747,  married  Charles 
Iredell,  and  settled  in  Horsham.  Children:  Rebecca, 
Grace,  Rachel,  Robert,  Joseph,  and  Benjamin. 

(4.)  Benjamin,  born  4th  mo.  9th,  1749,  married 
Hannah  Bradfield.  He  lived  on  the  homestead  in  Hor- 
sham till  the  decease  of  his  mother,  when  he  removed  to 
Gill's  farm,  in  Buckingham.  During  the  latter  part  of  his 
life  he  resided  with  his  son-in-law,  James  Bonner,  where 
he  died,  in  1834,  aged  85  years.  He  was  something  of  a 
poet,  and  was  a  very  useful  member  of  society.  His 
children  were  Ure,  who  married  James  Bonner;  Betsy, 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  3OI 

who  married  John  Rich;  Benjamin,  who  married,  first,. 
Sarah  Townsend,  2d,  Sarah  Landis ;  Yarley,  who  married 
Christianna  Moore;  Peter  Y.,  who  married  Hannah 
Magill;  David,  who  married  Ann  Robinson;  John,  who- 
married  Lydia  Ann  Merrick;  and  Silas,  who  married 
Rebecca  Sheppard. 

(5.)  Cyrus,  born  8th  mo.  9th,  1752;  died  while  young, 

Benjamin  and  (i)  Grace  Pozvers's  Children. 

(6.)  Mary,  died  while  young. 

(7.)  Grace^  married  John  Carlisle.  Children:  Phebe 
and  Amos.     Phebe  married  John  Burton,  and  settled  at 

Fallsington,    Bucks    County;    and   Amos   married  

Kinsey,  and  settled  at  Morrisville. 

Charles  and  (3)  Phebe  Iredell's  Children. 

(8.)  Rebecca,  married  Jacob  Kirk,  and  settled  on  the 
Welsh  Road,  in  Abington.  Children :  Phebe,  Ruth,  Re- 
becca, Charles,  Aaron,  Samuel,  Hannah,  Elizabeth,  Abra- 
ham, and  Rachel. 

(9.)  Grace,  married  John  Conrad,  and  lived  in  Hor- 
sham. 

(10.)   Rachel,  died  single. 

(11.)  Robert,  married  Mary  Marple.  Children: 
Oliver,  who  died  young,  and  Ann,  who  married  Dr.  Hunt, 
of  New  Jersey. 

(12.)  Joseph^  married  Hannah  Thomas,  of  Hatboro*. 
They  resided  in  Jenkintown,  and  had  one  son,  Charles, 
who  went  to  Bristol,  Bucks  County. 


^02  THE  HISTORY  OF 


THE  DUFFIELD  FAMILY.* 

(i.)  Benjamin  Duffield,  son  of  Robert  and  Bridget 
Diiffield,  of  England,  was  born  September  29,  1661.  He 
married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Susanna  and  Arthur 
Watts,  and  emigrated  to  Burlington,  New  Jersey,  in  1679. 
He  purchased  a  tract  of  land  in  the  manor  of  Moreland, 
in  1685.  He  died  in  Philadelphia,  May  5,  1741,  and  his 
tombstone  m_ay  be  seen  at  Christ  Churchyard,  at  Fifth 
and  Arch  Streets,  Philadelphia. 

(2.)  JosErH,  eighth  child  of  Benjamin  and  Elizabeth 
Duffield,  was  born  in  1692.  He  owned  a  few  slaves, 
which  were  willed  to  his  wife  at  his  death,  in  1746. 

tGen.  W.  W.  H.  Davis  says  that  the  Duffields  are  probably 
of  Norman  French  origin.  The  name  is  spelled  Du  Fielde, 
De  Duffeld,  Duffeld  and  Duffield.  The  names  Duffeld,  Duf- 
feilde,  Duffyeld  and  Duffield  are  found  in  the  early  records  of 
Ripon  Cathedral.  A  William  Duffield  was  archdeacon  of  Cleveland 
in  1435  and  died  in  1452.  Gen.  W.  W.  H.  Davis  says  that  the  family 
may  be  traced  back  to  the  reign  of  Edward  II,  when  Richard  was 
l)ailiff  of  York,  1535,  and  that  the  first  of  that  name  came  from 
France  with  William  the  Conqueror. 

The  Duffields  of  Pennsylvania  are  descended  from  Benjamin,  the 
son  of  Robert  and  Bridget,  born  1661,  who  landed  at  Burlington, 
New  Jersey,  in  1678.  He  came  on  the  "Shield,"  from  Hull,  along 
with  William  Biles.  He  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  those  who  came 
across  the  river  to  welcome  William  Penn  on  his  arrival.  He  after- 
ward moved  to  Bucks  County  and  later  to  Moreland  Township, 
Philadelphia.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Arthur  Watts  and  was 
.the  father  of  thirteen  children.  He  died  in  Philadelphia  in  1741 
and  was  buried  in  Christ  Churchyard.  Samuel  Willets  places  the 
date  of  his  .settlement  in  Moreland  at  1682,  1683  or  1685.  Alfred 
T.  Duffield  of  Southampton  was  of  the  fifth  generation  of  Pennsyl- 
vania Duffields,  He  was  the  son  of  Jacob  Duffield  who  died  at 
Sackett's  Harbor  in  181 5  while  in  the  military  service. 

*  I  am  indebted  to  Wason  Comly,  of  Byberry,  for  the  greater  part 
of  the  genealogy  of  this  family. 

fNote  by  the  Editor. 


BYEERRY  AND  MORELAND.  303 

(2.)  Joseph  DufHeld's  Children. 

{3.)   Benjamin,  died  young. 

(4.)   Elizabeth,  married  Dr.  Samuel  Swift. 

(5.)   Mary_,  died  young. 

(6.)  Sarah,  married  Prof.  Kinnersley,  of  the  College 
of  Philadelphia. 

(7.)   Hannah,  died  young. 

(8.)  Joseph,  died  young. 

(9.)  James,  died  young. 

(10.)  Edward,  born  in  1720,  married  Mrs.  Catharine 
Parry,  daughter  of  Judge  Smyth,  of  South  Carolina. 
Sarah  Franklin,  writing  to  her  father  in  Europe,  under 
date  of  March  23,  1766,  says,  **Our  dear  friend  Mrs. 
Smyth  expired  yesterday  morning.  Poor  Mrs.  Duffield 
and  poor  mamma  are  in  great  distress.  It  must  be  hard 
to  lose  a  friend  of  fifty  years'  standing." 

His  name  appears  among  the  earlier  members  of  the 
American  Philosophical  Society.  He  was  also  a  Com- 
missioner to  issue  colonial  paper  currency,  a  specimen  of 
w^hich,  with  his  autograph,  is  on  exhibition  in  Independ- 
ence Hall.  About  the  same  time  he  was  one  of  those 
charged  with  the  erection  of  the  Walnut  Street  Prison, 
and  there  is  a  tradition  that  when  the  British  occupied;,' 
Philadelphia,  they  seized  him  at  his  country  residence, 
and,  marching  him  past  his  city  house,  imprisoned  him  in 
the  jail,  the  construction  of  which  he  had  superintended. 

He  was  a  man  of  considerable  talent,  and  was  noted 
for  his  scientific  acquirements  and  his  skill  in  agricultural 
and  mechanical  pursuits.  He  is  said  to  have  made  the 
first  watch,  from  the  raw  materials,  ever  made  in  Penn- 


304  THE  HISTORY  OF 

sylvania ;  and  some  of  his  clocks,  among  which  is  the  one 
on  Lower  Dublin  Academy,  are  yet  to  be  seen  in  the 
vicinity, — monuments  of  his  skill  and  ingenuity  in  me- 
chanism. He  associated  with  such  men  as  Kinnersley,. 
Rittenhouse,  and  Franklin,  the  latter  of  whom  reposed 
great  confidence  in  him,  often  visited  him  at  his  residence^ 
and  made  hin)  one  of  the  executors  of  his  last  will. 

The  only  literary  production  we  have  met  with,  emanat- 
ing from  his  pen,  is  "Some  Observations  on  the  Applica- 
tion of  Plaster  of  Paris,"  which  w^as  published  by  Judge 
Peters,  in  1797.  He  was  much  interested  in  educational 
matters,  and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Lower  Dublin 
Academy;  he  also  was  the  means  of  having  a  school- 
house  erected  in  his  own  immediate  neighborhood.  He 
died  in  1803,  aged  about  seventy- four  years,  and  was 
buried  at  All  Saints'  churchyard.  It  is  traditionally 
asserted  that  the  first  consultation  by  Jefferson  and  others, 
respecting  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  was  held  at 
Edward  Duffield's  house. 

*This  last  statement  probably  refers  to  his  city  residence  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  Fifth  and  Market  Streets, 

The  date  of  Edward  Duffield's  birth  and  death  is  given  on  a  tomb- 
stone in  the  All  Saints'  Churchyard.  The  inscription  reads  as  fol- 
lows :  "Under  this  stone  rest  the  remains  of  Edward  and  Katherine 
Duffield,  late  of  the  Manor  of  Moreland.  Edward  Duffield  was  born 
April  30,  1730,  and  died  July  12,  1805.  Aged  75  years  2  months 
12  days.  Katherine  Duffield  was  born  October  11,  1729.  Died  Oc- 
tober 6,  1796.     Aged  68  years  11  months  25  days." 

Edward  Duffield  called  his  place  Benfield  in  memory  of  his  grand- 
father, Benjamin  Duffield.  Benfield  may  have  signified  Ben's  fields^ 
or  it  may  have  been  formed  by  the  union  of  Ben,  the  first  syllable 
of  Benjamin,  with  field,  the  last  syllable  of  Duffield.  Both  explana- 
tions have  good  authority. 

Thomas  Payne,  writing  to  Benjamin  Franklin  from  Yorktown  on 
May  16,  1778,  says:  "I  laid  two  nights  at  Mr.  Duffel's  (Duffield) 

♦Note  by  the  Editor. 


BYEERRY  AND  MORELAND.  3O5 

in  the  winter.  Miss  Nancy  Clifton  was  there  and  said  the  enemy 
had  sold  or  destroyed  a  great  quantity  of  your  furniture.  Mr.  Duffel 
has  since  been  taken  by  them  and  carried  to  the  city,  but  is  now  at 
home." 

During  the  British  occupation  of  Philadelphia,  Franklin's  family 
resided  much  at  Benfield.  The  youngest  daughter  of  Edward  Duf- 
field,  Sarah,  was  introduced  to  Philadelphia  society  by  Sarah  Frank- 
lin.   She  was  much  admired  by  the  French  ambassador. 

During  the  winter  of  the  British  occupation,  Edward  Duffield, 
Sr.,  secured  some  weavers  to  make  him  eighteen  yards  of  cloth  on 
condition  that  he  should  make  three  or  four  shuttles  in  return.  Writ- 
ing to  her  father  on  September  14,  1777,  Sarah  Franklin  says :  "I  can 
assure  you,  my  dear  papa,  that  industry  in  this  house  is  by  no  means 
laid  aside.  Mr.  Duffield  has  hired  a  weaver  that  lives  on  his  farm 
to  weave  eighteen  yards  by  making  three  or  four  shuttles  for  noth- 
ing and  keeping  it  a  secret  from  the  country  people,  who  will  not 
suffer  them  to  weave  for  those  in  town.  I  think  myself  lucky  to 
have  such  a  friend." 

Edward  Duffield  was  a  famous  instrument  maker  of  his  day.  His 
establishment  was  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Second  and  Arch 
Streets.  In  this  establishment  he  was  much  annoyed  by  people  ask- 
ing him  the  time.  He  therefore  hung  a  clock  with  two  faces  from 
the  second-story  window.  This  was  the  first  public  timepiece  in 
Philadelphia.  It  is  said  that  he  entered  Braddock's  Army  as  an 
assistant  surveyor.  In  this  position  he  noticed  that  his  superior 
did  not  understand  his  instrument.  He  mentioned  this  to  a  superior 
officer.  "How  do  you  know?"  said  the  officer.  "Because  I  made 
the  instrument,"  answered  Duffield.  In  his  will,  he  bequeathed 
to  his  son,  Edward,  a  clock-like  instrument,  "that  can  be  attached 
to  the  wheel  of  any  carriage."  His  country  shop  fell  to  the  ground 
in  1898. 

In  1800  Aaron  Walton  came  to  Edward  Duffield  and  asked  for 
land  on  which  to  build  a  school.  Duffield  answered  that  he  would 
give  half,  if  Aaron  Walton  would  give  the  other  half.  Walton 
agreed  and  Maple  Grove  School  was  the  result. 

At  another  time  he  had  taken  a  load  of  bark  to  Frankford.  The 
tanner's  prices  were  not  satisfactory.  Duffield  therefore  complained. 
"If  you  do  not  like  my  prices,"  said  the  tanner,  "  you  can  go  into 
the  business  yourself."  "I  will,"  said  Duffield,  and  going  home,  he 
established  a  tan  yard. 

Duffield  kept  slaves  and  tame  deer  on  his  property.  His  slaves 
are  supposed  to  have  been  buried  at  the  end  of  the  lane  near  some 
lilac  bushes.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Byberry  Library  and  was 
for  some  time  President  of  the  Lower  Dublin  Academy.  He  was 
a  delegate  to  the  first  General  Convention  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church,  September  7,  1785. 

Edward  Duffield's  executors  were :  John  Jay,  Farncis  Hopkinson, 
Henry  Hill  and  Edward  Duffield,  Jr. 
20 


306  THE  HISTORY  OF 

( 1 1 . )   Uz,  eaten  by  the  wolves  when  three  years  of  age. 

(lo.)  Edward  and  Catharine  DuiHeld's  Children. 

(i2.)   Mary,  Joseph,  Catharine,  all  died  in  youth. 

(13.)   Elizabeth,  married  Francis  Ingraham. 

(14.)  Benjamin,  was  born  November  3d,  1753.  He 
was  educated  at  the  College  of  Philadelphia,  where  in 
1 77 1,  he  received  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts,  and  de- 
livered on  Commencement  day,  a  poem  entitled  "Sci- 
ence." He  became  a  medical  student  in  the  office  of  Dr. 
John  Redman,  and  after  attending  the  lectures  of  Morgan 
and  Shippen,  in  1775,  he  went  to  Edinburgh  and  com- 
pleted his  education.  On  his  return  from  Europe,  he 
married  Rebecca,  daughter  of  John  Potts,  of  Pottsgrove, 
and  sister  of  Dr.  Jonathan  Potts,  Director  General  of  the 
Hospitals  of  the  Middle  and  Northern  Departments  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  War.  In  1793,  while  the  yellow 
fever  was  raging  in  Philadelphia,  he  had  charge  of  the 
Bush  Plill  Hospital,  and,  in  1798,  the  managers  of  the 
Marine  and  City  Hospitals  voted  him  a  sum  of  money, 
in  appreciation  of  his  services.  He  was  the  first  lecturer  on 
Obstetrics  in  America,  and  was  a  member  of  the  American 
Philosophical  Society.  A  poem  of  his  inscribed  "To  the 
Memory  of  the  late  Dr.  Rittenhouse,  by  his  sincere  ad- 
mirer," is  still  extant.  In  the  life  of  Judge  Iredell,  one  of 
the  first  Associate  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
the  United  States,  are  several  letters  from  Dr.  Duf- 
field,  who  was  the  Judge's  family  physician.  Dr.  Duf- 
field  resided  in  Front  Street,  Philadelphia,  where  his  wife 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  30/ 

died  in  February,  1797.  He  died  in  December,  1799,  aged 
46  years,  and  left  several  children. 

(15.)   Sarah,  married  Stacy  Hepburn. 

(16.)  Edward,  remained  a  bachelor,  and  occupied  the 
old  Duffield  homestead,  devoting  his  time  to  reading  and 
agricultural  pursuits.  He  is  still  remembered  by  some  of 
the  inhabitants  as  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school.  He  died 
in  1836  or  '37,  and  then  the  old  Duffield  homestead  was 
purchased  by  John  Murray,  who  still  occupies  it.^^ 

Francis  and  (13)  Elizaheth  Ingraham's  Children. 

(17.)   Francis  and  Catharine^  buried  at  All  Saints'. 

(18.)  Edward  D.,  a  distinguished  lawyer  and  biblio- 
maniac, of  Philadelphia;  married  first,  Mary  Wilson,  of 
Snow  Hill,  Md.,  and  second,  Caroline  Barney,  of  Balti- 
more. 

(19.)  Alfred^  married  Elizabeth,  sister  of  Major- 
General  Meade,  and  removed  to  Mississippi,  where  they 
have  a  numerous  family. 

(14.)  Benjamin  and  Rebecca  DufHeld's  Children. 

(20.)  Catharine,  born  April  9th,  1779,  married  Dr. 
John  Church,  of  Philadelphia.  She  died  in  1804,  child- 
less, 

(21.)  Martha  R.,  born  August  9th,  1780,  married 
Dr.  Henry  Neill,  of  Snow  Hill,  Md.  She  died  in  Phila- 
delphia, June,  1856. 

(22.)  Edward,  born  December  13th,  1782,  married 
Miss  Nolan. 

"Edward  Duffield,  Jr.,  was  born  on  the  nth  day  of  January. 
1764,  and  died  on  the  17th  day  of  July,  1836,  aged  y2  years  6  months 
6  days. 


308  THE  HISTORY  OF 

{22,.)  John  Potts,  born  November  2d,  1784,  married 
first,  Miss  Handy,  of  Snow  Hill,  Md.,  and  second.  Miss 
Bishop,  of  the  same  place.    He  died  at  Snow  Hill,  in  1830. 

(24.)  Rebecca,  born  September  7th,  1786,  married 
Dr.  John  S.  Martin,  of  Snow  Hill,  Md.,  where  she  resided 
until  her  death  in  November,  1843. 

(25.)  Mary,  born  1787,  died  in  infancy. 

Stacy  and  (15)  Sarah  Hepburn's  Children. 

(26.)  James,  married  in  New  Orleans,  La. 
(27.)   Fanny,  married  James  Strawbridge  and  moved 
to  New  Orleans,  La. 

(28.)   Eliza,  married  John  J.  Vanderkemp. 

THE  GILBERT  FAMILY.* 

The  ancestor  of  this  family  was  (i)  John  Gilbert, 
who  came  over  in  the  ship  * 'Welcome"  from  England,  in 
1682.^'^  He  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  John  Gilbert 
who,  during  the  persecution  of  the  Quakers  in  England, 
was  taken  out  of  a  meeting  and  sent  to  Lancaster  jail,  in 
1663.^^  He  first  settled  in  Bensalem,  but  in  1695  he  pur- 
chased six  hundred  acres  of  land  in  the  eastern  part  of 
Byberry,  of  Nicholas  Rideout.  One-half  of  this  tract  he 
afterwards  conveyed  to  his  son  Joseph,  and  the  other  half 
he  sold  to  John  Carver,  after  which  he  removed  to  Phila- 
delphia, where  he  became  a  prominent  merchant.     He 

*  I  am  indebted  to  Gilbert  Cope,  of  West  Chester,  for  a  portion  of 
this  account. 

"From  Gilbert  Cope  I  learn  that  John  Gilbert,  in  all  probability, 
did  not  come  on  the  ship  "Welcome." 

"This  should  be  Launceston,  not  Lancaster  jail. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  3O9 

remained  in  the  city  until  his  death,  on  the  13th  of  8th  mo. 
(October) ,  171 1.  He  was  married  while  in  England,  and 
his  wife's  name  was  Florence.  Their  children,  as  far  as 
known,  were  John,  Joseph,  Sarah,  Mary,  Joshua,  and 
Abigail. 

( I . )  John  and  Florence  Gilbert's  Children. 

(2.)  John,  came  over  with  his  parents  in  1682,  and 
settled  in  Bucks  County,  near  the  Poquessing  Creek. 
Little  is  known  of  him  except  that  he  was  a  peace-loving 
man  in  the  favor  of  William  Penn,  and  ardently  attached 
to  religious  worship.  He  died  in  Philadelphia  ist  mo. 
7th,  1 70 1 -2,  leaving  two  sons,  John  and  Samuel. 

(3.)  Joseph,''^  married  Rachel  Livezey,  of  Abington, 
in  1699,  and  settled  in  Byberry.  He  was  one  of  the 
prominent  men  of  his  time,  being  an  elder  and  leading 
member  of  Byberry  Meeting.  This  position  he  filled  with 
great  satisfaction ;  and  by  his  strict  integrity,  undeviating 
attention  to  moral  and  religious  duties,  and  earnest  sup- 
port of  what  he  believed  the  testimonies  of  Truth,  he 
gained  the  esteem  and  respect  of  all  who  knew  him.  He 
was  a  man  of  very  correct  judgment,  and  had  a  strong 
mind,  so  that  he  was  seldom  deterred  from  doing  what  he 
believed  to  be  his  duty  or  led  away  from  a  Christian's 
path.  His  views  were  far  in  advance  of  those  of  his  con- 
temporaries, and  were  tempered  by  justice  and  modera- 
tion. He  regularly  attended  meetings  for  religious  wor- 
ship, and  encouraged  his  family  and  neighbors  to  observe 
the  same  practice.     Although  he  furnished  intoxicating 

^^"From  Gilbert  Cope  I  learn  that  Joseph  Gilbert's  wife  was  the 
widow  of  Jonathan  Livezey,  formerly  Rachel  Taylor,  daughter  of 
Robert  Taylor  of  Springfield,  (now)  Delaware  County,  Pa. 


310  THE  HISTORY  OF 

drink  to  hivS  hands  in  the  harvest-field,  yet  he  refrained 
from  its  use,  and  on  such  occasions  drank  water  which 
was  taken  from  a  neighboring  brook  and  kept  in  a  jug  in 
the  open  sunshine.  He  was  opposed  to  holding  slaves, 
and  united  with  Benjamin  Lay  and  other  Friends  in 
bearing  testimony  against  the  evil ;  and  in  order  to  make 
his  example  correspond  with  his  precept,  he  liberated 
several  slaves  in  his  possession.  He  was  opposed  to  usury, 
and  being  a  man  of  considerable  wealth,  he  put  his  views 
in  practice  by  frequently  lending  money  without  interest 
to  those  in  necessitous  circumstances.  On  one  occasion 
a  traveling  Friend  held  a  meeting  at  B'yberry,  when 
Joseph  informed  his  hands  that  they  might  attend  the 
meeting  without  loss  to  themselves,  but  that  those  who 
refused  should  not  perform  any  duty  during  his  absence. 
He  retained  his  mental  and  physical  energies  unimpaired 
to  the  close  of  his  life,  and  when  four-score  years  old  led 
his  hands  in  the  harvest-field.  He  had  such  control  over 
his  dispositions  that  for  many  years  of  the  latter  part  of 
his  life  he  was  rarely,  if  ever,  known  to  be  in  a  passion. 
He  traveled  with  Thomas  Chalkley  on  a  religious  visit 
to  Friends  on  Long  Island.  He  died  in  1765,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety  years,  and  it  may  be  truly  said 
that  few  men  of  his  time  were  more  honored  while  living 
or  more  lamented  when  dead.  He  left  several  children, 
among  whom  was  Benjamin,  the  Indian  captive.  He 
resided  on  a  place  now  owned  by  Thomas  James,^^  and 
built  the  farm-house,  which  is  still  standing,  in  1722. 

(4.)   Sarah,  married  Henry  Elfreth,  in  1702.     She 
died  in  1728,  leaving  children. 

**  This  property  now  belongs  to  the  heirs  of  Thomas  James. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  3II 

(5.)    Mary,   married  Ballard.      Their   children 

were  Samuel,  William,  and  probably  others. 

(6.)  Joshua,  was  born  6th  mo.  loth,  1684,  being  the 
first  child  of  the  name  of  Gilbert  born  in  America.  He 
married  Elizabeth  Oldham,  8th  mo.  19th,  1707.  They 
had  one  daughter,  Elizabeth,  who  married  William  Par- 
ker. Joshua  was  a  blacksmith  in  Philadelphia,  where  he 
died,  7th  mo.  19th,  171 1. 

(3.)  Joseph  and  Rachel  Gilbert's  Children. 

(7.)  Sarah,  born  4th  mo.  21st,  1700,  married  John 
Baldwin,  in  1725. 

(8.)  Phebe,  born  12th  mo.  7th,  1701,  married  Henry 
Comly,  of  Moreland,  7th  mo.  26th,  1728.  She  died  2d 
mo.  14th,  1773. 

(9.)  Joseph,  born  loth  mo.  13th,  1703;  died  in  1730, 
unmarried. 

(10.)  Rebecca,  married  Patrick  Ogilby,  of  Long 
Island,  in  1735. 

(11.)  Benjamin,  was  born  in  Byberry,  in  171 1.  He 
was  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  characters  of  his  day. 
In  June,  1731,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  he  married 
Sarah,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Mason,  of  Fair  Hill.^* 
After  this  event  he  remained  in  Byberry  several  years, 
and  then  removed  to  the  great  swamp,  in  Richland,  Bucks 
County,  where  he  was  in  1748.  While  there  he  was  rather 
irregular  in  his  life,  and  was  disowned  by  the  Society  of 
Friends,  of  which  he  was  a  member.  Soon  after  this  he 
saw  proper  to  change  his  life,  and,  from  his  general  good 

^^This  should  be  Richard  Mason,  not  Benjamin  Mason. 


312  THE  HISTORY  OF 

conduct,  Friends  reinstated  him  as  a  member  of  the 
Society,  in  1749.  In  this  year  he  removed  to  a  mill  in 
Makefield,  Bucks  County;  and,  in  1755,  he  returned  to 
his  native  place  to  take  charge  of  his  father's  farm.  Four 
years  later  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  acres 
of  the  Ellis  tract,  near  the  centre  of  Byberry,  on  the 
Byberry  Creek,  and  on  which  he  soon  afterward  erected  a 
grist-mill — the  one  now  owned  by  Charles  B.  Comly.^^ 
In  1759  he  lost  his  wife.  Soon  after  this  his  life  again 
became  irregular,  and  he  was  a  second  time  disowned. 
His  father,  who  had  died  a  short  time  previous,  was  very 
wealthy,  and  had  left  the  most  of  his  property  to  Benja- 
min, his  only  surviving  son.  It  mig-ht  be  supposed  that 
such  an  ample  fortune  would  satisfy  any  one;  but  Benja- 
min was  of  a  roving  disposition,  delighting  in  change, 
and  was,  therefore,  not  long  contented  in  any  one  place. 
In  1760,^^  he  married  Elizabeth,  widow  of  Bryan  Peart, 
and  daughter  of  Benjamin  Walton,  of  Byberry.  In  1770, 
he  offered  a  written  acknowledgment  of  his  offence  to  the 
Meeting,  but  it  was  not  received,  and,  in  1776,  he  made 
another  to  the  same  Meeting,  and  was  again  reinstated. 
By  this  time  he  was  advanced  in  age,  and  had  seen  several 
of  his  numerous  family  of  children  comfortably  settled 
around  him ;  but  others  remained  to  be  provided  for,  and 
he,  in  1775,  at  the  age  of  sixty- four  years,  embarked  in  a 
new  enterprise  for  this  purpose.  He  disposed  of  his  mill 
property  in  Byberry,  and  purchased  lands  on  Mahoning 
Creek,  in  Northampton  County,  then  one  of  the  frontier 
settlements  of  Pennsylvania,  whither  he  removed  with  his 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Charles  Comly's  son,  Edward 
"This  should  be  1761. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  313 

family  in  the  spring  of  that  year.  On  this  property  was 
an  excellent  mill  site,  where  he  erected  a  saw  and  grist- 
mill, and  carried  on  an  extensive  and  prosperous  business, 
and  lived  at  peace  with  all  his  neighbors,  both  whites  and 
Indians.  At  this  time  the  latter  were  very  troublesome, 
and  Benjamin  was  frequently  warned  of  the  danger;  but 
being  innocent  himself,  and  never  having  taken  any  part 
in  the  contest,  he  thought  he  could  rest  in  security  and 
peace.  In  this,  however,  he  was  mistaken,  for,  on  the  25th 
of  April,  1780,  a  party  of  eleven  savages  came  to  his 
house  about  sunrise,  armed  with  guns,  tomahawks,  etc. 
Benjamin  met  them  at  the  door,  and  they  shook  hands 
with  him,  and  called  him  brother,  but  immediately  pro- 
ceeded to  tie  his  arms  so  that  he  could  not  use  them.  They 
then  secured  the  rest  of  the  family,  and  proceeded  to  rob 
the  house,  and  loaded  several  horses  with  the  plunder. 
Two  of  the  Indians  remained  behind  to  set  fire  to  the 
buildings,  while  the  remainder  marched  with  their  prison- 
ers— fifteen  in  number — and  plunder  through  the  wilder- 
ness. After  enduring  innumerable  sufferings  and  hard- 
ships, they  reached  Niagara  just  one  month  after  they 
had  been  taken  captives,  where  Benjamin,  his  wife,  and 
son  Jesse,  Avere  surrendered  to  Colonel  Johnson,  but  the 
others  were  detained  among  the  Indians.  From  Niagara 
they  were  sent  to  Montreal,  and  at  the  mouth  of  Lake 
Ontario  were  placed  in  open  boats  to  descend  the  St.  Law- 
rence River  to  that  place.  Benjamin  was  sick  before 
leaving  the  fort,  and  a  heavy  rain  falling  upon  him  in- 
creased the  disorder,  so  that  on  the  8th  of  the  6th  mo., 
1780,  his  eventful  life  was  terminated  at  the  age  of  69 
years.    On  the  next  day  he  was  buried  under  an  oak  tree 


314  THE  HISTORY  OF 

on  the  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  The  remainder  of  the 
family  were,  in  time,  released,  and  reached  Byberry  again 
on  the  28th  of  9th  mo.,  1782.  A  narrative  of  their  captiv- 
ity and  sufferings,  containing  ninety-six  pages,  was  pub- 
lished by  Joseph  Cruikshank,  in  1784.  Benjamin  Gilbert 
was  a  man  of  much  energy  and  determination,  and  an 
attentive  observer  of  all  that  transpired  around  him.  His- 
mind  was  of  a  religious  turn,  and  he  wrote  and  published 
several  volumes  on  theological  subjects.  They  were  writ- 
ten in  a  plain,  easy  style,  and  evince  considerable  thought 
and  a  clear  comprehension  of  the  subject  he  was  consid- 
ering. Elizabeth,  his  wadow,  died  8th  mo.  5th,  18 10,  at 
the  age  of  85.^^ 

(11.)  Benjamin  and  Sarah  Gilbert's  Children. 

(12.)  Rachel,  born  nth  mo.  14th,  1732,  married, 
first,  Ezekiel  Atkinson,  in  1754;  and  second,  William 
Walton.    She  died  2d  mo.  24th,  1791. 

(13.)  Abigail,  born  9th  mo.  3d,  1734,  married  Benja- 
min Walton. 

(14.)   Sarah,  born  2d  mo.  24th,  1737;  died  in  infancy. 

(15.)  Joseph,  born  12th  mo.  loth,  1738;  died  in  1807^ 
unmarried. 

(16.)  Benjamin,  born  ist  mo.  31st,  1741,  married, 
first,  Rebecca  Watson,  in  1771;  and  second,  Margaret 
Anderson.    He  died  ist  mo.  nth,  1809. 

■*The  account  of  the  "Captivity  and  Sufferings  of  Benjamin 
Gilbert"  has  been  sufficiently  popular  to  warrant  the  issue  of  a  third 
edition  of  the  work.  To  this  latter  edition  is  prefixed  a  short  account 
of  the  Gilbert  family.  On  this  account  the  author  bases  a  portion 
of  his  history  of  this  family. 

John  Watson  in  his  "Annals"  devotes  ten  pages  to  this  event. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  315 

(17.)  John,  born  5th  mo.  23d,  1743,  married  Ann 
Stackhouse,  in  1768. 

(18.)  Sarah,  born  4th  mo.  26th,  1745,  married  Daniel 
AValton.     She  died  7th  mo.  25th,  1785. 

(19.)  Joshua,  was  born  in  Richland,  Bucks  County, 
3d  mo.  3d,  1748.^^  He  came  to  Byberry  with  his  father 
in  1755 ;  and  being  of  an  active  and  lively  disposition,  he 
was,  in  the  early  part  of  his  life,  fond  of  amusements, 
could  dance  equal  to  any  of  his  young  companions,  and 
relish  a  game  of  cards  on  every  occasion.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years  he  appears  to  have  taken  a  serious  turn, 
and  his  mind  became  impressed  with  considerations  of  a 
more  weighty  nature,  and  he  was  afterward  a  regular 
attendant  at  religious  meetings.  In  1771  he  married 
Mary,  daughter  of  Nicholas  Randall,  and  purchased  the 
old  homestead  where  Thomas  James  now  lives,  with  fifty 
acres  of  land,  and  settled  thereon.  He  brought  up  a  large 
family  of  children,  and  was  esteemed  by  all  who  knew 
him.  Mary  died  3d  mo.  13th,  1812,  aged  60  years,  and 
Joshua  died  6th  mo.  i8th,  1833,  aged  86  years.  They 
had  children:  Phebe,  Benjamin,  Tacy,  Thomas,  Joshua, 
David,  Beulah.26 

(20.)  Caleb,  born  9th  mo.  19th,  1754,  married  Martha 
Stackhouse. 

(11.)  Benjamin  and  Elizabeth  Gilbert's  Children. 
(21.)  Jesse,  born  5th  mo.  4th,  1761,  married  Sarah 
Harding  in  1780.     He  died  3d  mo.  loth,  1829,  leavings 
eleven  children. 

^  This  should  be  19th  of  12th  mo.,  1747,  O.  S. 

'®  Joshua  Gilbert  had  also  two  other  children,  Agnes,  Ezra. 


3l6  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(22.)  Rebecca,  born  in  1763,  married  Joseph  Rake- 
straw.    She  died  8th  mo.  23d,  1842. 

(23.)  Aener,  born  3d  mo.  2d,  1765,  married  Ann, 
daughter  of  George  and  Susanna  Cooper,  ist  mo.  i8th, 
1799.  They  settled  in  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.  Abner 
died  8th  mo.  23d,  1842  f^  his  widow  died  nth  mo.  12th, 
1846.  They  left  a  daughter  Eliza,  who  married  Joseph 
Cope.^^ 

(24.)  Elizabeth^  born  9th  mo.  14th,  1767,  married 
David  Webster.  Notwithstanding  the  sufferings  she  en- 
dured during  her  captivity,  Elizabeth  Webster  always 
retained  an  affection  for  John  Huston,  the  Indian  chief 
who  adopted  her  in  his  family,  and  in  1822,  she  sent  him 
some  mememtos  of  her  remembrance,  by  the  noted  chiefs 
Cornplanter  and  Red  Jacket,  whom  she  met  in  Philadel- 
phia. Of  "Aunt  Betsy,"  as  she  was  universally  called,  it 
may  be  said,  that  few  persons  filled  up  the  duties  of  life 
with  more  faithfulness,  and  although  she  had  known 
trouble,  yet  she  always  appeared  cheerful  and  happy. 
They  lived  in  Byberry,  where  she  died,  in  1857.  Children : 
Susan,  who  married  John  Matchner;  David,  who  married 
Sindonia  Walton;  William;  Jesse  G.,  who  married  Sarah 
Williams,  and  Nathan,  who  married  Margery  Gilbert. 

(19.)  Joshua  and  Mary  Gilbert's  Childrer,. 

(25.)  Phebe,  married  Thomas  Wilson;  she  died  4th 
mo.  1 2th,  1 8 14,  aged  43  years. 

(26.)  Benjamin,  went  to  Black  River,  where  he  died 
unmarried. 

"  This  should  be  5  mo.  31st,  1831. 

"And  other  children — Benjamin,  George,  Susanna  and  Ann. 


:  BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  317 

(27.)  Tacy,  died  single,  5th  mo.  2d,  1847,  aged  71 
years. 

(28.)  Thomas,  married  Martha,  daughter  of  John 
Knight.  He  died  loth  mo.  2d,  1844,  and  Martha  died 
1 2th  mo.  3d,  1822.  Children:  Mary,  Margery,  wha 
married  Nathan  Webster,  John,  Charles,  who  married 
Ellen  Renshaw,  David,  Ezra,  Ann  B.,  and  Sarah. 

(29.)  Joshua,  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  Byberry,  and 
resided  therein  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  For  many 
years  he  was  a  school  teacher,  and  afterward  kept  store 
where  Ross  Knight  now  does.  He  was  the  author  of 
several  essays  published  in  the  Evening  Fireside,  and  was 
considered  a  good  writer.  He  was  a  man  of  learning,  and 
took  a  great  interest  in  scientific  and  literary  studies,  and 
was  ahvays  one  of  the  principal  movers  in  these  matters- 
in  the  township.  He  married  Mary  Ware,  and  resided 
during  the  latter  part  of  his  life  on  property  now  owned 
by  James  Walmsley.^^  He  died  5th  mo.  7th,  1846,  aged 
62  years.  Children :  Frances,  who  married  James  Ivins ; 
Emma,  who  married  James  Thornton ;  and  Beulah. 

( 30. )  David,  married  Joanna,  daughter  of  Jesse  James. 
He  died  loth  mo.  30th,  1826.  Children:  Mary,  Phebe^ 
Elizabeth,  and  Abi. 

(31.)  Beulah,  married  Thomas  James.  He  died  5th 
mo.  1 6th,  181 3;  she  died  7th  mo.  25th,  1850.  They  had 
one  child,  Thomas,  who  married  Elizabeth  Knight. 

THE  KNIGHT  FAMILY. 
The  name  of  Knight  was  common  in  some  parts  of 
England  more  than  two  hundred  years  ago.    In  1663,  Sir 

*  This  property  now  belongs  to  Charles  Myers. 


3l8  THE  HISTORY  OF 

John  Knight  was  Mayor  of  the  town  of  Bristol.  A  few 
years  after,  another  John  Knight  was  Vicar  of  Banbury. 
We  also  find  notice  of  many  persons  named  Knight  who 
were  among  the  early  converts  to  the  doctrines  of  George 
Fox ;  and  in  the  record  of  the  sufferings  of  Friends  during 
the  reign  of  Charles  II.,  are  the  names  of  Thomas  Knight, 
of  Cirencester;  William  Knight,  of  Hampshire;  George 
Knight  and  Mary  Knight,  of  London  or  Middlesex; 
Robert  Knight,  of  Oxford,  and  Giles  Knight,  of  Chessel- 
lx>rough,  in  Somersetshire.  Most  of  these  were  appre- 
hended at  religious  meetings,  and,  for  refusing  to  take 
the  oath  of  allegiance,  were  committed  to  prison. 

Among  the  emigrants  who  came  to  America  with  Wil- 
liam Penn,  in  1682,  was  Giles  Knight,  of  Gloucester- 
shire. While  in  England,  he  married  Mary,  a  sister  of 
Henry  English;  and,  at  the  time  of  their  arrival  in 
America,  they  had  one  son,  Joseph,  who  was  about  tv/o 
years  of  age.  Their  friends  endeavored  to  persuade  them 
to  leave  Joseph  in  England,  "fearing  that  he  would  be 
devoured  by  the  wolves,  bears,  or  panthers  in  the  wilds  of 
Pennsylvania."  During  the  passage  across  the  Atlantic, 
Mary  was  very  ill,  so  that  her  recovery  was  doubtful ;  yet 
she  did  recover,  and  lived  for  many  years  after  their 
arrival.  Her  father  purchased  a  tract  of  five  hundred 
acres  in  Byberry,  and  gave  one-half  of  it  to  his  son, 
Henry  English,  and  the  other  half  to  Giles  Knight.  The 
latter  lived  in  a  cave  for  six  weeks  after  his  arrival,  and 
then  constructed  a  wigwam,  in  which  he  resided  for 
several  months,  and  then  erected  a  log  house.  He  was 
very  prosperous  in  his  business,  and  some  time  afterward 
bought  the  adjoining  lands  of  Tibby  and  Cross,  making 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  3I9 

altogether  a  tract  of  six  hundred  acres.  The  house  at  first 
erected  being  too  small  to  accommodate  his  increasing 
family,  he  erected  a  long  log  house,  one  story  high,  on 
the  Tibby  tract,  and  opened  a  store  for  the  sale  of  d^y 
:goods,  groceries,  etc.,  which  is  said  to  have  been  the  first 
in  either  township.  From  the  ancient  records  we  learn 
that  he  was  one  of  the  leading  men  in  the  neighborhood, 
and  that  he  was  highly  esteemed  for  his  integrity,  good 
judgment,  and  correct  life.  In  171 7,  he  went  to  England 
on  a  visit,  when  Abington  Monthly  Meeting  of  Friends, 
of  which  he  was  a  member,  gave  him  the  following  cer- 
tificate : 

"To  our  well-beloved  friends  and  brethren  in  the  Truth 
at  Nailsworthe,  in  Gloucestershire,  or  elsewhere,  greeting : 
Signifying,  that  our  ancient  friend  Giles  Knight,  having 
occasion  to  see  his  native  country,  and  his  outward  busi- 
ness requiring  his  personal  appearance,  doth  induce  him, 
as  well  as  affection,  to  undertake  a  voyage  to  see  his  old 
friends;  now,  having  made  application  to  our  Monthly 
Meeting  in  order  to  have  a  certificate,  and  persons  ap- 
pointed to  make  enquiry  how  he  leaves  his  family;  and, 
withal,  if  the  ship  would  not  stay  until  our  next  Mo. 
Meeting,  he  might  have  a  certificate  signed  by  the  particu- 
lar meeting  to  which  he  belongs,  to  wit,  B'yberry : 

"These  may  certify,  that  enquiry  being  made  and  no 
objection  found,  we  recommend  him  as  an  Elder  and  one 
well  esteemed  by  us  for  many  years,  having  left  his 
family  with  a  great  deal  of  love ;  he  has  great  comfort  in 
Tiaving  sober,  well-inclined  children,  and  the  Lord  has 
"blessed  him  with  outward  substance,  which  we  hope  may 
be  well  disposed  of  to  his  hopeful  offspring. 


320  THE  HISTORY  OF 

"We  heartily  wish  the  Lord  may  spare  his  life  to  see 
his  friends  and  family  again,  having  left  us  in  unity  and 
love.  We  wish  and  pray  for  his  preservation  in  the  Truth 
with  all  the  faithful  throughout  the  world.  We  salute 
you,  and  bid  you  farewell  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

"Signed  at  Byberry,  the  8th  of  the  7th  month,  171 7, 
by  order  of  Abington  Monthly  Meeting : 

"Vyilliam  Walton,  Thomas  Walton,  Thomas  Knight, 
Henry  English,  George  James,  Everard  Bolton,  Alex- 
ander Mode,  Thomas  Martin,  James  Cooper,  James  Dun- 
can, Henry  Comly,  John  Carver,  James  Carver,  Edward 
Duncan,  John  Brock,  Joseph  Gibbons,  Thomas  Knight, 
Daniel  Knight,  Jonathan  Knight." 

He  possessed  considerable  literary  attainments,  and  his 
library  contained  a  number  of  books  relating  to  civil  gov- 
ernment. He  was  repeatedly  elected  a  member  of  the 
Assembly  at  Philadelphia,  and,  in  this  capacity,  was  very 
liberal  in  his  views,  and  did  much  to  promote  public  im- 
provements. He  died  8th  mo.  20th,  1726,  aged  73  years; 
and  Mary  died  7th  mo.  24th,  1732,  aged  yj  years.  They 
had  twelve  children,  three  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  Two 
of  these  were  buried  on  the  farm  near  Knight's  mill-pond, 
and  the  other  was  the  first  person  interred  in  the  old 
graveyard  at  Byberry  Meeting.  The  remainder,  so  far  as 
known,  were  Joseph,  Thomas,  Daniel,  Jonathan,  and  Ann, 
from  whom  the  whole  of  the  family  of  Knights  are  de- 
scended.^^ Thomas  Knight,  mentioned  in  the  above  list, 
was  a  half-brother  of  Giles,  and  the  last  three  mentioned 

"  Isaac  Knight,  who  married  Mary  Carver,  1699,  left  many  descend- 
ants of  the  name. 


'  BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  321 

were  his  sons.    Joseph,  his  eldest  son,  resided  at  that  time 
in  New  Jersey. 

JOSEPH  KNIGHT,  AND  HIS  DESCENDANTS. 

(i.)  Joseph  Knight,  was  born  in  England,  in  1680, 
and  came  to  Pennsylvania  with  his  parents,  Giles  and 
Mary  Knight,  in  1682.  He  married  Abigail  Antiil,  who 
came  from  England  in  1717.  They  were  married  at  a 
public  meeting  in  Philadelphia,  and  their  certificate  was 
signed  by  Thomas  Chalkley,  David  Lloyd,  Samuel  Pres- 
ton, Richard  Hill,  and  other  distinguished  Friends.  They 
first  settled  in  New  Jersey,  but  returned  to  Byberry  in 
1729,  and  settled  on  the  place  now  owned  by  James 
Thornton,  ^^  which  contained  one  hundred  and  ninety 
acres,  and  was  inherited  from  his  father.  He  was  a  man 
of  little  or  no  enterprise,  and  was  content  with  a  very 
plain  way  of  living.  He  thought  his  farm  too  large,  and 
accordingly  sold  about  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  it 
to  Thomas  Walmsley,  retaining  his  buildings  and  only 
fifty  acres  of  land  from  which  to  make  a  living.  They 
studied  and  carried  out  the  principles  of  the  most  exact 
economy,  and  being  content  with  very  little,  passed 
through  life  in  a  comfortable  way  and  without  any  long- 
ings after  those  expensive  luxuries  experienced  by  many 
people.  He  was  very  careful  to  attend  to  all  things  in 
season,  and  suffered  nothing  to  be  wasted.  He  was  a 
kind-hearted  man,  and  a  good  citizen.  His  neighbors  did 
not  look  upon  him  as  a  miser;  but  having  been  brought 
up  in  a  new  country,  where  he  often  suffered  many  priva- 
tions, his  habits  of  economy  became  settled,  and  continued 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Jesse  Tomlinson. 
21 


322  THE  HISTORY  OF 

with  him  through  life.  When  he  was  a  little  boy,  the  only- 
food  they  had,  often  for  weeks  at  a  time,  was  *'fish  and 
pumpkins;"  and  on  one  occasion,  when  some  of  the 
neighbors  paid  them  a  visit  and  the  conversation  turned 
upon  the  good  things  left  behind  them  in  Old  England, 
Joseph  remarked  "that  he  did  not  know  anything  about 
them,  but  that  fish  and  pumpkins  were  good  enough  for 
him."  On  one  occasion,  some  one  asked  him  how  to  make 
money,  when  he  replied,  "Thou  knowest  how  to  make  it 
better  than  I  do,  but  thou  dost  not  know  how  to  keep  it." 
He  died  4th  mo.  26th,  1 762,  aged  82  years ;  and  his  widow 
died  nth  mo.  19th,  1764,  at  about  the  same  age.  They 
left  two  children,  Giles  and  Mary. 

(i.)  Joseph  and  Abigail  Knighfs  Children. 

(2.)  Giles  was  born  in  Bensalem,  Bucks  County,  nth 
mo.  17th,  1 7 19.  He  married,  first,  Elizabeth  James,  in 
1737,  and  settled  in  Bensalem.  They  had  ten  children: 
Joseph,  Susannah,  Abigail,  Giles,  Rebecca,  Mary,  Eliza- 
beth, Abel,  Sarah,  and  Israel.  Elizabeth  died  in  1766, 
and  Giles  married,  second,  Phebe  Thomas.  Children: 
Asa,  Evan  T.,  Phebe,  Rachel,  Jesse,  and  Ainn.  Giles 
Knight  was  well  educated,  had  a  vigorous  mind,  and  con- 
ducted his  business  with  energy  and  success.  He  early 
turned  his  attention  to  politics;  and  from  being  in  com- 
fortable circumstances,  of  known  integrity  and  sound 
judgment,  he  soon  became  prominent  as  a  politician,  and 
was  for  several  successive  years  a  member  of  the  State 
Legislature,  and  afterward  one  of  the  Commissioners  of 
Bucks  County.  In  1766  his  first  wife  died,  and  in  1768 
he  was  married  a  second  time.     Of  his  appearance  and 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  323 

manners,  Isaac  Comly  remarks :  "I  remember  the  vener- 
able old  patriarch  in  full  dress  of  velvet  and  broadcloth, 
with  buttons  and  buckles  of  silver,  a  full  bottom  wig,  and 
first-rate  beaver  hat,  turned  up  behind  and  on  each  side 
before,  all  which  seemed  to  belong  to  a  class  that  did  not 
mix  with  ordinary  characters ;  and  together  with  an 
austere,  commanding  countenance,  and  dignity  of  man- 
ners and  deportment,  induced  an  apprehension  and  belief 
that  Giles  Knight  was  one  of  the  great  men  of  his  day 
and  generation."  He  died  in  1799,  and  was  buried  in 
Byberry. 

(3.)  Mary,  born  2d  mo.  22d,  1723,  married  James 
Thornton  in  1751,  and  died  4th  mo.  20th,  1794.  Children : 
:Lydia,  Joseph,  James,  and  Asa. 

(2.)  Giles  and  Elisabeth  Knight's  Children. 

(4.)  Joseph^  born  12th  mo.  14th,  1738,  married,  first, 
Rachel  Townsend ;  second, Woolston. 

(5.)  Susannah,  born  9th  mo.  nth,  1740,  married 
James  Paul.  Children:  James,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  James 
and  Susannah  (twins),  and  Sarah. 

(6.)  Abigail,  born  8th  mo.  nth,  1742,  married  Wil- 
liam Walmsley  in  1764,  and  settled  in  Byberry.  Children : 
Sarah,  Giles,  Mary,  Joseph,  and  Israel. 

(7.)  Giles,  born  6th  mo.  7th,  1745,  married  Sarah 
Townsend.  Children :  Townsend,  Giles,  Joseph  T.,  and 
Thomas. 

(8.)  Rebecca,  born  7th  mo.  9th,  1747,  married  Jona- 
than Parry.  Children:  Elizabeth,  Martha,  Phebe, 
Susannah,  Abigail,  and  Jonathan. 


324  THE   HISTORY  OF 

(9.)  Mary,  born  5th  mo.  25th,  1750,  married  William 
Satterthwaite. 

(10.)   Elizabeth,  born  12th  mo.  3d,   1752,  married 
Thomas  Samms. 

(11.)   Abel  was  born  3d  mo.  19th,  1755. 

{12.)   Sarah  was  born  5th  mo.  8th,  1757. 

(13.)  Israel  was  born  in  Bensalem,  3d  mo.  4th,  1760; 
he  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Esther  Tyson, 
of  Baltimore,  in  1782,  and  settled  in  Bensalem,  where,  in 
1799,  he  built  the  house  now  occupied  by  George  John- 
son.^2  In  i8ozj.  he  purchased  440  acres  of  land  at  Black 
River,  in  the  northern  part  of  New  York,  and  with  seven 
of  his  neighbors  visited  the  place.  He  concluded,  how- 
ever, to  let  his  children  settle  there,  while  he  remained  at 
the  old  homestead  in  Bensalem,  where,  in  1805,  he  built 
the  stone  barn  still  standing.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  and  was  much  respected  by  a  large 
circle  of  friends.  He  died  ist  mo.  31st,  18 10,  aged  50 
years.  Sarah  died  4th  mo.  8th,  1824,  aged  66  years. 
Their  children  were:  Abel,  Isaac,  Esther,  Giles,  George 
J.,  John,  Nathan  T.,  and  Eliza. 

(2.)  Giles  and  Phebe  Knight's  Children. 

(14.)  Asa,  born  in  1770,  married,  first,  Elizabeth  Paul, 
and  had  one  child,  Joseph  P.  He  married,  second,  Grace 
Croasdale.    Children :  Elizabeth,  Mary,  and  Sarah. 

(15.)  Evan  T.,  born  loth  mo.  nth,  1771,  married 
Martha,  daughter  of  Isaac  Comly,  of  Byberry.  Children : 
Isaac  and  Phebe. 

"This  property  is  now  owned  by  William  Johnson. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  325 

(l6.)  Phebe,  born  ist  mo.  31st,  1773,  married  Wil- 
liam Walmsley.    Children :   Silas,  Ann,  and  Martha. 

(17.)  Rachel,  born  1775,  married  Samuel  Paul. 
Children:  Robert,  Phebe  (who  married  Thomas  Stack- 
house),  McEldery,  Ann  (who  married  Aaron  Kirk),  and 
Martha,  who  married  Samuel  Kirk. 

(18.)  Jesse,  born  12th  mo.  9th,  1779,  married  Mary 
Stackhouse.  Children:  Richard,  Phebe,  Elizabeth, 
Hannah,  and  Ann. 

(19.)  Ann,  born  in  1781,  died  in  1786. 

(7.)  Giles  and  Sarah  Knight's  Children. 

(20.)  Townsend,  born  nth  mo.  2d,  1768;  no  account. 

(21.)  Giles,  born  ist  mo.  4th,  1773 ;  no  account. 

(22.)  Joseph  T.,  born  nth  mo.  4th,  1775,  married 
Grace .  Children :  Israel,  Abi,  Rachel,  Giles,  Town- 
send,  Susannah,  Joseph,  Stephen,  Jane,  and  Grace. 

(23.)  Thomas,  born  i  ith  mo.  4th,  1775 ;  no  account. 

(13.)  Israel  and  Sarah  Knight's  Children. 

(24.)  Abel,  born  8th  mo.  24th,  1783,  married  Eliza- 
beth Donaldson.  Children:  Jane,  Sarah,  Margaret, 
Israel,  Isaac,  Tacy,  Joseph,  Charles,  Elizabeth,  Martha, 
and  Oliver. 

(25.)  Isaac,  born  9th  mo.  14th,  1785.  He  removed 
to  Baltimore,  and  married  Julianna  Winfield. 

(26.)  Esther,  born  4th  mo.  19th,  1787,  married  John 
Knight.    No  children. 

{2y.)  Giles,  born  4th  mo.  i6th,  1789,  married  Mary 
Yardley.  He  died  in  1866.  Children:  Thomas,  William, 
Sarah,  Susannah,  and  Edward. 


326  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(28.)  George  J.,  born  5th  mo.  24th,  1791,  married  Abi 
Brown,  niece  of  General  Brown,  daughter  of  Isaac  and 
Jane  Donaldson,  of  Philadelphia,  and  granddaughter  of 
John  Kaighn,  the  original  proprietor  of  Kaighn's  Point, 
New  Jersey.    They  settled  near  Brownsville,  New  York. 

(29.)  John,  bom  5th  mo.  29th,  1793.  He  was  quite 
a  traveler.  He  died,  and  was  buried  at  sea,  while  return- 
ing from  a  visit  to  Cadiz,  Spain. 

(30.)  Nathan  T.,  born  nth  mo.  25th,  1796,  married 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Jonathan  Thomas,  of  Lower  Dub- 
lin. Children:  Sidney,  Sarah  T.  and  Jonathan  (twins), 
Ellen,  Elizabeth,  Mary  Elizabeth,  Anna,  and  Julianna. 

(31.)  Eliza,  born  4th  mo.  24th,  1799,  married  James 
Bones,  and  removed  to  Iowa.  Children :  William,  Court- 
land,  Sallie,  Susan,  and  Rowland. 

(14.)  Asa  and  Elisabeth  Knighfs  Children. 

(32.)  Joseph  P.,  born  4th  mo.  15th,  1796,  married 
Mary  La  Rue.    Children :  Elizabeth  and  Sallie. 

(33.)  Elizabeth,  born  12th  mo.  i6th,  1804,  married 
Jonathan  Paxson,  of  Bensalem.    They  have  no  children. 

(34.)  Mary,  born  7th  mo.  8th,  1807,  married  Joshua 
V.  Buckman,  of  Bristol,  Bucks  County.  Children: 
Elizabeth,  Rebecca,  and  James. 

(35.)  Sarah,  born  12th  mo.  nth,  181 1,  married  James 
Townsend,  of  Bensalem.  Children:  Elizabeth,  Marga- 
retta,  and  Caroline  Justice. 

(15.)  Evan  and  Martha  Knight's  Children. 

(36.)  Isaac,  born  9th  mo.  8th,  1797,  married  Lydia 
Stackhouse.    Children :  Isaac  C,  Evan,  and  Ethan  C. 


?  BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  32/ 

(37.)  Phebe,  born  6th  mo.  3d,  1802;  died  single  loth 
mo.  15th,  1828. 

(18.)  Jesse  and  Mary  Knight's  Children. 

(38.)  Richard,  born  9th  mo.  8th,  1809,  married 
Rachel  Kirk,  of  Horsham.  Children:  Jesse,  Rebecca, 
Oliver  P.,  and  Joseph. 

(39.)  Phebe,  born  8th  mo.  24th,  181 1 ;  not  married. 

(40.)  Elizabeth,  born  5th  mo.  28th,  18 13,  married 
Thomas  James,  of  Byberry.  Children:  Mary,  Tacie, 
Hannah,  Joshua  G.,  Beulah,  Edwin,  Jesse  K.,  Alvin,  and 
Mary  Elizabeth. 

(41.)  Hannah,  born  ist  mo.  13th,  18 18;  died  4th  mo. 
22d,  1832. 

(42.)  Ann,  born  loth  mo.  9th,  1821,  married  Oliver 
Parry,  of  Byberry.     Children :  Mary  S.  and  Elizabeth. 

THOMAS  KNIGHT. 

Thomas,  son  of  Giles  and  Mary  Knight,  was  born  in 
Byberry,  in  1685.  He  married  Sarah  Clifton,  in  1711, 
and  settled  on  a  farm  belonging  to  Titan  Leeds,  the 
almanac-maker;  but  some  time  afterwards  moved  to  By- 
berry, and  located  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Isaac  Tom- 
linson,^^  where  he  died  in  1774,  aged  89  years.  Thiey 
had  one  child,  which  died  in  infancy.  Thomas,  by  prudent 
management,  acquired  considerable  property.  He  was  at 
one  time  an  Overseer  in  Byberry  Meeting,  but  was  prob- 
ably not  very  remarkable  for  piety,  as  he  said  in  an  argu- 
ment on  the  Conestoga  Massacre :  "That  it  was  nonsense 

*^  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Joseph  Bavington. 


328  THE  HISTORY  OF 

to  talk  of  such  creatures  as  the  Indians  having  souls  or  a 
future  being."  In  1732  he  went  on  a  voyage  to  Barba- 
does  with  Thomas  Chalkley. 

DANIEL  KNIGHT,  AND  HIS  DESCENDANTS. 

( I . )  Daniel,  son  of  Giles  and  Mary  Knight,  was  born 
in  1697.  He  lived  in  the  southern  part  of  Byberry,  near 
the  Poquessing  Creek.  He  married,  first,  Elizabeth 
Walker,  in  1719.  Children :  Mary,  Joseph,  and  Jonathan. 
He  married,  second,  Esther,  widow  of  Joseph  Walton,  in 
1728.  Children:  William,  Daniel,  Martha,  Joseph,  Ann, 
and  Thomas.  After  Esther's  death  he  married,  third, 
Mary  Wilson,  in  1777.  He  was  a  man  of  good  under- 
standing and  sound  judgment,  and  much  esteemed  by 
those  who  knew  him.    He  died  in  1782,  aged  85  years. 

(i.)  Daniel  and  Elisabeth  Knight's  Children. 

(2.)  Mary,  born  nth  mo.  23d,  1719,  married  David 
Buckman,  of  Wrightstown,  in  1742. 
'     (3.)  Joseph,  was  born  2d  mo.  4th,  1721;  no  further 
account. 

(4.)  Jonathan,  born  8th  mo.  5th,  1722,  married  Grace 
Croasdale,  and  settled  in  .Southampton,  Bucks  County. 
Children :  John,  Abraham,  Absalom,  David,  Samuel,  and 
Inglish. 


— ~^.C*.— 

(i.)  Daniel  and  Esther  Knighfs  Children. 

(5.)  William,  was  born  9th  mo.  27th,  1729.  He  was 
somewhat  singular  in  his  habits,  and  would  utter  predic- 
tions which  were  afterwards  so  nearly  fulfilled  that  many 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  329 

persons  believed  that  he  had  a  knowledge  of  future  events, 
and  they  looked  upon  him  as  more  than  an  ordinary  being. 
He  died  in  1782,  aged  53  years.  Children:  Daniel, 
Joseph,  Hannah,  and  Esther. 

(6.)  Daniel,  born  7th  mo.  8th,  1732,  married 
Ann . 

(7.)  Martha,  born  9th  mo.  17th,  1736,  married  Henry 
Walmsley,  in  1759. 

(8.)  Joseph,  born  ist  mo.  7th,  1839,  married  Elizabeth 
James,  in  1765.  Children:  James,  Joseph,  Jesse,  and 
Josiah. 

(9.)  Ann,  born  12th  mo.  15th,  1741,  married  Daniel 
Walton,  in  1768.    Children:  Jane,  Mercy,  and  Daniel. 

(10.)  Tho?»ias,  born  7th  mo.  7th,  1744,  married  Sarah 
Walton.     Children:  Amos,  Rebecca,  and  Esther. 

(4.)  Jonathan  and  Grace  Knight's  Children. 

(11.)  John,  born  8th  mo.  13th,  1749,  married  Margery 
Paxson.  Children:  Mary,  Joshua,  Caleb,  Martha,  and 
David. 

(12.)  Abraham,  born  3d  mo.  28th,  1752,  married 
Anna  Croasdale.  Children:  Asa,  Abraham,  Sarah,  Su- 
sanna, Phineas,  Jonathan,  Ezra,  Grace,  and  Elizabeth. 

(13.)  Absalom,  born  9th  mo.  17th,  1754,  married  Ann 
Winder.  Children:  Benjamin,  Amos,  Moses,  John, 
Grace,  Abel,  and  Samuel. 

(14.)  David,  born  5th  mo.  27,  1757;  died  single. 

(15.)  Samuel,  married  Mary  Paul.  Children:  Alex- 
ander, Hannah,  and  Julia. 

(16.)  Inglish,  married  Martha  Shallcross,  and  settled 


330  THE  HISTORY  OF 

in  Byberry.      Children:     Leonard,    Seth,    Ruth,  Owen,. 
Hannah,  Samuel,  Jonathan,  and  Anna. 

( 10. )  Thomas  and  Sarah  Knight's  Children, 

(17.)  Amos,  born  ist  mo.  14th,  1772,  married  Rebecca 
Dubre.  Children:  Dubre,  who  lives  in  Wilmington; 
Julianna,  Marmaduke,  Beulah,  Jacob,  and  Emmor. 

(18.)  Rebecca,  born  5th  mo.  3d,  1774,  married 
Thomas  Dubre.    Children :  Hannah,  Sarah,  and  Martha. 

(19.)  Esther,  born  8th  mo.  i8th,  1776. 

(11.)  John  and  Margery  Knight's  Children. 

(20.)  Mary^  married  John  Wildman,  and  settled  in 
Bensalem.  Children :  Charles ;  Martha ;  Ann,  died  single ; 
Elwood,  married  Mary  Thomas;  John,  married  Abigail 
Thompson;  Mary,  married  Thomas  Smedley;  Edward, 
married,  first,  Abi  Gilbert,  second,  Elizabeth  Newbold; 
Joshua  K.,  married  Hannah  Johnson;  Jane,  died  single; 
Rachel,  married  Hughes  Warner. 

(2T.)  Caleb,  married  Mary  Stackhouse.^^  Children: 
Phebe,  died  single;  Jane,  married  Edward  Croasdale; 
Elizabeth,  married  Isaac  Eyre ;  Abi,  and  Mary  Ann. 

{22.)  David^  married  Sallie  Brown.  Children:  Henry, 
and  Edward. 

(12.)  Abraham  and  Anna  Knight's  Children. 

(23.)   Asa,  died  single,  in  1866. 
(24.)   Abraham,  married  Sarah  Winder,  in  181 1,  and 
settled   in  Moreland,  Montgomery   County.      Children: 

■*  This  should  be  Mary  James. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  33I 

Anna,  married,  first,  Charles  Blake,  in  1835;  second,  she 
married  Isaac  A.  Davis,  in  1856,  and  now  resides  in 
Philadelphia;  Mary  Ann,  married  Wilkins  Hobensack. 
Child:  Anna.  Ezra  Croasdale,  married  Catharine 
Yerkes.  Children:  Sarah,  Chancellor,  Susan,  Abraham,. 
George,  and  Laura;  Elizabeth,  married  Alfred  Thomas. 
Children:  Anna,  Hannah,  William,  Samuel,  Oscar,. 
Martha,  Charles,  and  Abraham;  Susan,  married  Fitz- 
water  Lukens.     Children:   Tacie,  Sarah,  and  Charles. 

(25.)  PiiiNEAS,  married  Mary  Ridge.  Children: 
Sarah  Ann,  Hannah,  Charles,  Ann  Eliza,  and  Julia.  Of 
these,  Charles  married  Rebecca  Buckman ;  and  Ann  Eliza 
married  Abraham  Hogeland,  of  Bustleton. 

(13.)  Ahraham^^  and  Ann  Knight's  Children. 

Martindale,  and  lived  in  Southampton,  Bucks  County. 
Children:  Paul,  Absalom,  Ross  M.,  Aaron,  Samuel,  Re- 
becca, and  Martha  Ann. 

{2y.)  Amos,  married  Mary  Clayton.  Children:  Mary, 
Clayton,  Ann,  Rebecca,  Jonathan,  and  Grace. 

(28.)  Moses,  married  Rhoda  Tomlinson.  Child: 
Sarah  Ann. 

(29.)  John,  married  Esther  Knight.  They  had  nO' 
children. 

(30.)   Grace,  married  Joshua  Paul.     Child:  Ann. 

(31.)  Abel. 

(32.)   Samuel. 

"This  should  be  Absalom.  i 


332  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(15.)  Samuel  and  Mary  Knight's  Children. 

Alexander,  was  born  in  Byberry  and  received  his 
€arly  education  at  Byberry  School,  under  the  tuition  of 
Watson  Atkinson  and  John  Comly.  Under  the  latter 
teacher  he  studied  Latin,  and  became  well  versed  in  that 
language.  Being  of  a  scientific  turn  of  mind,  he  studied 
medicine  and  graduated  at  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania with  honor.  He  became  a  physician  of  skill  and 
respectability,  and  resided  for  a  short  time  in  Byberry. 
He  then  went  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  obtained  a  good 
practice,  and  was  appointed  physician  of  that  port.  He 
published  several  essays  on  medical  subjects,  which  evinc- 
ed considerable  scientific  acumen.  His  promising  life  was 
closed  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-five  years.  He  married 
Mary  Knorr.    Children :  Elizabeth,  Amelia,  George. 

JuLiA^  married  Charles  Stout. 

(16.)  Inglish  and  Martha  Knight's  Children. 

Leonard^  married  Ruth  ,  and  lived  in  Byberry. 

Children :  Elizabeth,  Hannah,  Inglish,  and  Edward. 

Seth,  died  single. 

Ruth,  married  John  Tomlinson,  and  lives  in  Byberry. 
Children :  Martha,  Samuel,  and  Julia. 

Owen,  married  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Reese,  and  lives 
near  Somerton,  Byberry.  Children:  Mary  Ann,  Catha- 
rine, and  Charles. 

Hannah^  married  James  Walmsley,  of  Byberry. 

Samuel,  married  Phebe  Tomlinson  and  had  one  son, 
Aaron. 

Jonathan^  married  Letitia  Leedom,  and  had  one  child, 
Rachel. 


\  BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  333 

JONATHAN  KNIGHT  AND  HIS  DESCENDANTS. 

(i.)  Jonathan,  son  of  Giles  and  Mary  Knight,  mar- 
ried Jane  Allen,  and  settled  in  Byberry  on  property  lately 
owned  by  Ebenezer  Knight.  "He  was  a  man  of  very 
pleasant  and  agreeable  manners,  graceful  in  his  move- 
ments, and  nice  in  his  personal  appearance.  His  fine 
sense  of  the  proprieties  of  life,  combined  with  his  polish- 
ed manners  and  a  social  liberality,  made  him  generally 
esteemed,  respected,  and  beloved.  He  was  often  called 
'Gentleman  Jonathan'  to  distinguish  him  from  another 
of  the  same  name.  He  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  sup- 
port of  schools,  and  in  other  matters  of  benefit  to  the 
meeting  or  the  township."  He  died  5th  mo.  ist,  1745^ 
and  his  wife  died  soon  afterwards.  Children :  Jonathan^ 
Mary,  and  Thomas. 

( I . )  Jonathan  and  Mary  Knight's  Children. 

(2.)  Jonathan,  born  4th  mo.  5th,  1730,  married^ 
first,  Ann  Paul,  in  1748.  Children:  James,  Jonathan, 
Daniel,  Sarah,  Tacy,  Mary,  Jane,  Thomas,  Ann,  and 
Paul.  He  afterwards  married,  second,  Margaret  Bald- 
win, and,  third,  Martha  Lloyd. 

(3.)   Mary,  born  3d  mo.,  1734,  died  single  in  1759. 

(4.)  Thomas,  born  9th  mo.,  1736,  married  Mary 
Walmsley  in  1759,  but  had  no  children.  He  purchased 
240  acres  of  land,  in  Byberry,  of  Benjamin  Gilbert,  and 
settled  thereon.  During  the  Revolution  his  barn  was 
burned  by  the  soldiers  under  General  Lacy.  He  died  in 
1806. 


334  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(2.)  Jonathan  and  Ann  Knighfs  Children. 

(5.)  James,  born  8th  mo.  i6th,  1753,  married  Gaynor 
Liikens.    He  died  in  1784. 

(6.)  Jonathan,  born  nth  mo.  6th,  1755,  married 
Eliza  Thomas.  He  died  in  1830.  Children:  Atina, 
Jonathan  T.,  Evan,  Grace,  Hannah,  and  Edwin. 

(7.)  Daniel,  born  ^.th  mo.  8th,  1757,  married  Rachel 
Walton.  He  died  in  1821.  Children:  Sarah,  Ann,  Mar- 
garet, James,  Charles,  Ebenezer,  Lydia,  Hannah,  Thomas, 
Mary,  Paul,  Allen,  and  Robert  B. 

(8.)  Sarah,  married  John  Stackhouse.  She  died  in 
T838. 

(9.)  Tacy,  married  Robert  Croasdale. 

(10.)   Mary,  married  Josiah  Costill. 

(11.)  Jane,  married  Joseph  Bolton.  Children:  Tacy 
and  Isaac. 

(12.)  Thomas,  born  9th  mo.  ist,  1769,  married  Mary 
Worrell.  He  died  in  1824.  Children:  Jonathan,  Eliza- 
beth, Ann,  Rebecca,  Isaiah,  William,  Stephen.^^ 

(13.)  Ann,  married  Benjamin  Albertson.  She  died 
in  1828. 

(14.)   Paul,  married  Eliza  Boucher. 

(6.)  Jonathan  and  Eliza  Knighfs  Children. 

(15.)  Anna,  born  6th  mo.  6th,  1789;  died  9th  mo. 
9th,  1 80 1. 

(16.)  Jonathan  T.,  born  nth  mo.  21st,  1791,  mar- 
ried Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Jesse  Wilson,  and  settled  in 
Byberry.    He  was  a  prominent  politician,  and  served  sev- 

" Thomas  Knight  had  three  other  children:  Edward,  Thomas, 
Walter. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  335 

teral  terms  in  the  Pennsylvania  Legislature.  He  was  after- 
wards an  Associate  Judge  in  Philadelphia.  During  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  he  was  of  full  habit,  and  took  but 
little  part  in  public  affairs.  He  died  in  Philadelphia  in 
1858,  aged  (ij  years.  Their  children  were  Amy,  Ann 
Eliza,  Edwin,  Jesse  W.,  Grace,  Wilson,  Amos  W.,  and 
Paulina  Jane. 

(17.)  Evan,  born  5th  mo.  8th,  1793,  married  Martha 
James,  and  settled  in  the  southern  part  of  Byberry.  Chil- 
dren:  Elizabeth  T.,  Phebe  Ann,  Mary  Ann,  Jonathan, 
and  Tacy.  After  his  death,  Martha  married  Ebenezer, 
son  of  (7)  Daniel  Knight.    Children:  Evan  and  Samuel. 

(18.)  Grace,  born  6th  mo.  3d,  1795,  married  Samuel 
Smedley,  but  had  no  children 

(19.)   Hannah,  was  born  ist  mo.  5th,  1798. 

(20.)  Edwin  born  9th  mo.  3d,  1800;  died  8th  mo. 
19th,  1803. 

(7.)  Daniel  and  Rachel  Knight's  Children. 

(21.)   Sarah,  born  2d  mo.  8th,  1783,  remained  single. 

(22.)  Ann,  born  loth  mo.  5th,  1784,  married  Samuel 
Smedley,  but  had  no  children. 

(23.)  Margaret,  born  8th  mo.  22d,  1786,  remained 
single. 

(24.)  James,  born  5th  mo.  23d,  1788,  married  Edith 
Plumly  and  had  one  child,  Rachel,  who  died  of  cholera 
in  1849. 

(25.)  Charles,  born  3d  mo.  13th,  1790,  married  Jane 
Hillborn,  and  settled  in  Byberry.  Children :  Daniel,  Hill- 
born,  Charles,  Ruth  Ann,  Emily,  Margaret,  and  Jane. 

(26.)   Ebenezer,  born  nth  mo.  14th,  1791,  married 


336  THE  HISTORY  OF  ' 

Martha,  widow  of  (17)  Evan  Knight.  Children:  Evan 
and  Samuel. 

(27.)  Lydia^  born  ist  mo.  4th,  1794,  married  Stephen- 
son Croasdale,  and  settled  in  Byberry.  Children :  Rachel^ 
Ainne  B.,  Margaret,  Joseph  S.,  Jane,  Willis,  and  Sarah. 

(28.)  Hannah,  born  3d  mo.  7th,  1796;  died  8th  mo. 
5th,  1796. 

(29.)  Thomas,  born  5th  mo.  3d,  1798;  died  8th  mo. 
loth,  1798. 

(30.)  Mary,  born  nth  mo.  28th,  1799;  died  3d  mo. 
loth,  1800. 

(31.)   Paul,  was  born  4th  mo.  25th,  1801. 

(32.)  Allen,  born  8th  mo.  30th,  1805,  married  Eliza- 
beth Parry,  and  had  one  child,  Edward.^^ 

(33.)  Robert  B.,  born  ist  mo.  22d,  1809;  died  un- 
married. 

Of  (12)  Thomas  and  Mary  Knight's  children  we  have 
no  account. 

Three  half-brothers  of  the  ancient  Giles  Knight  came 
over  to  Pennsylvania  probably  about  1683.  Their  names 
were  Benjamin,  Abel,  and  John.  Benjamin  settled  in 
Bensalem,  but  w^e  have  no  further  account  of  him.  Abel 
went  to  North  Carolina,  where  his  descendants  still  re- 
side. John  went  to  Massachusetts.  His  descendants  are 
quite  numerous,  and  may  be  found  scattered  all  over  the 
New  England  States  and  in  Canada.  Some  of  them  were 
quite  noted,  among  these  was  Jeremiah  R.  Knight,  a 
Senator  in  Congress  from  Rhode  Island.  In  the  list  of 
pensioners  on  account  of  services  in  the  Revolution  are 
more  than  twenty  of  the  name  of  Knight. 

"It  was  Paul  who  married  Elizabeth  Parry  and  not  Allen. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  33/ 

THE  MARTINDALE  FAMILY.* 

(i.)  John  Martindell/J-  the  ancestor  of  the  family 
in  America,  was  born  8th  mo.  24th,  1676.  He  married 
Mary  Eridgman,  daughter  of  Walter  Bridgman  and 
Blanche  Constable,  who  came  from  England  in  1684,  and 
located  near  Newtown,  Bucks  County.  Mary  died  12th 
mo.  7th,  1726.  Children:  William,  Thomas,  Ann,  Mary, 
Alabrethe,  and  John. 

(i.)  John  and  Mary  Martindale's  Children. 

(2.)   WiLT.iAM  went  to  South  Carolina. 

(3.)  ToTiN,  born  6th  mo.  22d,  1719:  married  Mary 
Strickland,  2d  mo.  9th,  1746.  Children:  Joseph,  John, 
William,  Rachel,  Sarah,  Miles,  Strickland,  Amos,  Jona- 
than, Thomas,  Isaac,  and  Mary. 

(3.)  John  and  Mary  Martindale's  Children, 

(4.)  Joseph,  born  6th  mo.  20th,  1747,  married,  first, 
Hannah  Buckman,  and  had  one  daughter,  Hannah;  he 
married,  second,  Sarah  Merrick.  Children:  Joseph, 
Martha,  Thomas,  and  Isaac. 

(5.)  John,  born  12th  mo.  15th,  1749,  married  Ann 
Lambert.  Children:  John,  Amos,  Ann,  Jesse,  Richard, 
Mary,  Mahlon,  and  Phineas. 

(6.)  William,  born  6th  mo.  2d,  1751,  married  Esther 
Buckman.  Children:  Jacob,  Mary,  Esther,  William, 
Amos,  Samuel,  Sarah,  Rachel,  and  Hannah. 

*  I  am  indebted  to  Thomas  Warner,  of  Wrightstown,  for  much  of 
this  account. 

t  Usually  so  spelled  in  the  old  records. 

22  . 


33^  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(7.)  Rachel,  born  loth  mo.  ist,  1752,  married 
Charles  Reeder.    Children:  Joseph,  Mary,  and  Amos. 

(8.)  Sarah,  born  loth  mo.  13th,  1754,  married  Mat- 
thias Harvey,  but  had  no  children. 

(9.)  Miles,  born  6th  mo.  2d,  1757,  married  Susannah 
Harvey.  Children:  John,  Margaret,  Mary,  Susannah, 
Lucy,  Thomas,  Jane,  Robert  H.,  Sarah,  Isaiah,  and  two 
others. 

(10.)  Strickland,  born  6th  mo.  19th,  1759,  married 
Sarah  Sands.  Children :  Mary,  Rachel,  Sarah,  Jane,  Wil- 
liam, Hannah,  Ann,  and  Beulah. 

(11.)  Amos,  born  8th  mo.  loth,  1761,  married  Martha, 
daughter  of  Thomas  Merrick,  of  Upper  Makefield,  in 
1789.  Children:  Hannah,  Tacy,  Abner,  Amos,  Charles, 
Thomas  R.,  Mercy,  Martha,  Lucy  Ann,  and  Mary. 

(12.)  Jonathan,  born  7th  mo.  loth,  1763,  married 
Rachel  Morgan.  Children:  Isaac,  Jonathan,  Charity, 
Samuel,  John,  Rachel,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Phineas,  and 
Frances. 

(13.)  Thomas,  born  1765,  married,  first,  Mary 
Boothe.  Children:  William,  Sarah,  Rebecca,  Thomas, 
and  Mary.  His  wife  died,  and  at  the  age  of  82  he  mar- 
ried, second,  Sarah  Ann  Conrad,  aged  22,  by  whom  he 
had  two  or  three  children. 

(14.)  Isaac,  born  12th  mo.  2d,  1767,  married  Rachel 
Bbnham.    Children:  Esther,  Elijah,  Mary,  and  Sarah. 

(15.)  Mary,  born  ist  mo.  i6th,  1769,  married  Isaiah 
Morgan.  Children :  Samuel,  Isaiah,  Mary,  Sarah,  Amos, 
Joshua,  Miles,  Rachel,  Charity,  and  William. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  339 

(4.)  Joseph  Martindale's  Children. 

(16.)  Hannah  married  Robert  Jolly.  Children: 
Hannah,  Robert,  Joseph,  Rachel,  Martha,  Sarah,  Jane, 
Phebe,  Eliza,  and  Samuel. 

(17.)  Joseph  married  Jemima  Ingham.  Children: 
Cyrus,  Martha,  Sarah,  Joseph.  John,  Lydia  Ann,  Lewis, 
and  Charles. 

(18.)  Martha  married  Amos  Corson.  Children: 
Sarah,  Benjamin,  and  Richard. 

(19.)  Isaac  married  Sarah  Hagerman,  and  had  two 
children. 

(4.)  John  and  Ann  Martindale's  Children. 
'    (20.)  John  married  Charity  Wilson.    Children:  Wil- 
-son,  Wakefield,  and  Ann. 

(21.)  Amos  married  Susannah  Lambert.  Children: 
iander,  John,  Lambert,  Amos,  Alfred,  Mahlon,  and 
Charles. 

(22.)  Ann  married  Peter  Wilson.  Children:  John, 
Samuel,  Wakefield,  Sarah,  and  Ann. 

(23.)  Richard  married  Ann  Wallace.  Children: 
Mahlon,  Charlotte,  Mary  Ann,  Harriet,  John,  Maranda, 
Martha,  David,  Ann,  Richard,  Franklin,  Charles,  Louisa, 
James,  and  one  other. 

(24.)  Mary  married  John  Carver.  Children:  Keziah 
Maria,  Amos,  Yardley,  Caroline,  Mary,  Jesse,  Oliver, 
John,  Aden,  Rebecca,  Wilson,  Margery  Ann,  Cynthia, 
and  two  others. 

(25.)   Mahlon  married  and  had  five  children. 

(26.)  Phineas  married  and  had  children :  Sarah  Ann, 
Martha,  Hannah,  Francis,  Nelson,  and  Henry. 


340  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(6.)  William  and  Esther  Martindale's  Children. 

{2y.)  J.ACOB  married  Ann  Bonham.  Children:  Levi, 
Ivy,  Abraham,  WilHam,  Hannah,  Frances,  and  Ann. 

(28.)  Mary  married  Benjamin  Leedom.  Children: 
Elizabeth,  x\nn,  William,  xA^lice,  Elijah,  Benjamin,  Amos, 
Sarah,  Hannah,  John,  and  Samuel. 

(29.)  Esther  married  Thomas  Harvey.  Children: 
Harriet,  Belinda,  Joseph,  William,  Sarah  Ann,  Elizabeth, 
Rebecca,  Mary  Ellen,  Susan,  and  Letitia. 

(30.)  William  married  Sarah  Morgan.  Children: 
Garret,  Newkirk,  William  Elwell,  and  Abigail  Ann. 

(31.)  Amos  married  Sarah  Kinsey,  but  had  no  chil- 
dren. 

(32.)  Samuel  married,  first,  Hannah  B'riggs.  Chil- 
dren :  Albert  G.,  Elizabeth,  and  Lucilla.  He  married, 
second,  Martha  Landis.  Children:  Samuel,  William 
George,  and  Amanda  Melvinia  B. 

(33-)  Sarah  married  Thomas  Betts.  Children:  Wil- 
liam, Matilda,  Cyrus,  Tamar,  Hannah,  and  Rebecca. 

(34.)  Hannah  married  Amos  Wilkinson.  Children: 
Esther,  Rachel,  Ross,  William  Ryan,  Ellen,  and  Ger- 
trude. 

(9.)  Miles  and  Susannah  Martindale*s  Children. 

(35.)  Margaret  married  Richard  Neal.  Children: 
Susannah,  Priscilla,  Miles,  Hannah,  Mary,  Elizabeth,  and 
John. 

(36.)  Susannah  married  John  Tomlinson.  Children: 
Miles,  Asher,  Cynthia,  Lucy,  John,  Susannah,  Alfred, 
Eliza,  Mary,  and  Harvey. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  34I 

(37.)  Thomas  married  Mary  Warner.  Children: 
Warner,  Adaline,  Anne,  Susannah,  and  EHza. 

(38.)  Robert  H.  married  EHzabeth  Doan.  Children: 
Jane,  Jesse,  and  George. 

(10.)  Strickland  and  Sarah  Martindale's  Children. 

(39.)  Mary  married  Cornelius  Carver.  Children: 
Rebecca  and  Sarah  Ann. 

(40.)  Sarah  married  Isaac  Carver,  and  had  one  child, 
George  W. 

(41.)  Jane  married  Thomas  Goslin,  and  had  one 
child,  Sarah. 

(42.)   William  married  Hannah  Holcomb. 

(43.)   Hannah  married  Charles  Watson. 

(44.)   Rachel  married  David  Carver. 

{^5.)   Ann  married  Miles  Carver. 

(11.)  Amos  and  Martha  Martindale's  Children. 

(46.)  Hannah,  born  4th  mo.  19th,  1790,  died  single, 
I  St  mo.  7th,  1 84 1. 

(47.)  Tacy^  born  2d  mo.  21st,  1792,  married  Joseph 
Jenkins,  of  Abington.  She  died  8th  mo.  loth,  1857.  Chil- 
dren :  John,  Martha,  and  Mahala. 

(48.)  Abner,  born  9th  mo.  3d,  1794,  married,  first, 
Ann  Dubre.  Children:  Amos,  Rachel,  Angeline,  and 
Martha.  He  married,  second,  Eliza  Boucher,  and  moved 
to  Indiana  in  1838. 

(49.)  Amos,  born  3d  mo.  27th,  1797,  died  9th  mo.  2d, 
1821. 

(50.)  David,  born  8th  mo.  3d,  1799,  died  7th  mo.  7th, 
1801. 


342  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(51.)  Charles,  born  loth  mo.  24th,  1801,  married 
Phebe,  daughter  of  Joseph  Comly,  and  lives  in  Byberry. 
Children :  Watson  C,  Martha  K.,  Joseph  C.,^^  Elizabeth 
C,  Annie  L.,  Tacie,  Isaac  C,  and  Charles  P. 

(52.)  Thomas  R.,  born  2d  mo.  13th,  1804,  married 
Ellen,  daughter  of  Andrew  Singley.  Children:  Samuel, 
Mary,  Ellen,  Amos,  Rebecca,  Alice,  and  Hannah  Akin. 
They  reside  in  Maryland. 

(53.)  Mercy  B.,  married  Benjamin  Knight.  Children: 
Joshua  Paul,  Absalom,  Ross  M.,  Aaron,  Samuel,  Rebecca, 
and  Martha  Ann. 

(54.)  Lucy  Ann,  born  8th  mo.  13th,  1808,  died  sin- 
gle, 1 2th  mo.  5th,  1857. 

(55.)  Martha,  bom  12th  mo.  13th,  18 10,  married 
James  Walmsley,  in  1839,  and  lives  in  Byberry.^® 

(12.)  Jonathan  and  Rachel  Martindale's  Children, 

(56.)  Samuel,  married  Ann  Yard.  Children:  Sam- 
uel, Elizabeth,  and  Rachel. 

(57.)  John,  married,  first,  Beulah  Hagerman.  Chil- 
dren: Beulah  and  Martha.  Second,  he  married  Jane 
Hogeland.  Children :  Mary  Ann,  Jonathan,  Rachel,  Ja- 
cob, and  John. 

(58.)  Rachel,  married  John  Chambers.  Children: 
Mary,  Elizabeth,  Rachel,  Phebe,  and  Fanny. 

(59.)  Elizabeth,  married  Peter  Rozel,  and  had  one 
child,  Jonathan. 

(60.)  Mary,  married  James  Girton.  Children:  Rachel, 
Samuel,  James,  Sarah  Ann,  Garret  B.,  and  Hutchinson. 

•*  Joseph  C.  Martindale,  the  author  of  this  work,  died  in  1872. 
•*  Martha  died  loth  mo.  15th,  1897.    James  died  6  mo.  23d,  1870. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  343 

(6i.)   Phineas,  married,  first,  Elizabeth  Yerkes.  Chil- 
dren: William,  Rachel,  Elizabeth,  Ann,  and  Jonathan.' 
Second,  he  married  Elizabeth  Rutherford,  by  whom  he 
had  one  child. 

(62.)   Frances,  married  Charles  McNeal.  Children: 
Rebecca,  James,  Charles,  Amos,  Elizabeth,  and  Ann. 

(13.)  Thomas  and  Mary  Martindale's  Children. 

(63.)   Sarah,    married    John    Vanhorn.      Children: 
Thomas  and  one  other. 

(64.)   Rebecca,  married  William  Pearson. 

(14.)  Isaac  and  Rachel  Martindale's  Children. 

(65.)   Esther,  married  Garret  D.  Percy.    Children: 
Watson,  Isaac,  and  Mary  Jane. 
-     {66.)   Elijah,  married  Sarah  Ann  Harvey. 

(67.)  Mary,  married  William  Hellyer,  and  had  one 
child,  Isaac. 

(68.)  Sarah,  married  Joseph  Martindale,  and  had 
three  children. 

THE  SAURMAN  FAMILY. 

The  primitive  ancestor  of  this  family  in  America  was 
( I )  Philip  Saurman,  by  trade  a  shoemaker,  who  came 
over  from  Germany  about  1743.  During  the  Revolu- 
tionary struggle  he  was  a  soldier  in  Washington's  army, 
and  fell  a  martyr  to  his  country.  He  left  four  children, 
Peter,  Jacob,  Philip,  and  Martin. 


344  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(i.)  Philip  Sanrman's  Children. 
(2.)  Peter_,  was  born  in  Germany,  and  at  the  time 
of  immigration  to  America  was  about  three  years  old.  He 
learned  the  trade  of  shoemaking  from  his  father,  but 
having  a  taste  for  military  life,  he  entered  the  British 
army  during  the  latter  part  of  the  French  and  Indian 
War,  and  served  therein  about  one  year.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Philadelphia,  where  he  followed  his  occupa- 
tion until  the  Revolutionary  War,  when  he  entered  the 
army  under  Washington.  He  remained  with  it  until  it 
was  disbanded  in  1783,  and  although  he  was  in  all  the 
battles  fought,  yet  he  was  never  wounded  nor  taken 
prisoner,  and  never  sick  during  the  whole  time.  On  the 
evening  preceding  the  battle  of  the  Billet  he  obtained  leave 
of  absence  to  visit  the  young  lady  afterwards  his  wife, 
who  was  then  residing  at  Thomas  Wood's  house,  near 
Hatboro'.  Ffe  remained  here  all  night,  and  early  the 
following  morning  he  saw  an  English  soldier,  armed  with 
a  musket,  coming  up  the  lane.  He  immediately  secreted 
himself  behind  a  large  cherry  tree,  and  waited  until  the 
soldier  walked  past,  when  he  stepped  out  and  ordered  him 
to  surrender,  at  the  same  time  presenting  a  pistol.  The 
summons  was  obeyed,  and  the  English  soldier  became  a 
prisoner.  Upon  examining  the  captive's  gun,  it  was 
found  to  be  filled  with  mud  and  water.  Upon  the  prin- 
ciple that  "to  the  victors  belong  the  spoils,"  Peter  cleaned 
the  gun  and  loaded  it  with  three  buckshots  and  a  bullet, 
after  which  he  started  towards  Hart's  (William  Hallo- 
well's)  Mill,  where  he  saw  five  English  soldiers  along- 
the  roadside  dividing  their  booty.  He  attempted  to  shoot 
them,  but  the  gun  missed  fire,  and  he  was  forced  to  run 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  345 

for  his  life.  As  he  leaped  over  a  fence  the  British  fired 
at  him,  one  ball  passing  through  his  coat  pocket,  and  two 
others  striking  the  fence  near  him,  but  he  escaped  un- 
hurt. After  serving  his  country  faithfully  during  the 
war,  he  returned  to  his  trade,  and  located  on  the  Penny- 
pack,  near  what  is  now  John  Shelmire's  Mill,  in  More- 
land,  Montgomery  County.  In  1788,  he  moved  to  Hat- 
boro',  and  in  1795  to  Bucks  County,  where  he  commenced 
farming.  In  1804,  he  purchased  a  farm  of  ninety- four 
acres,  near  the  Sorrel  Horse,  for  $46.62  per  acre,  where 
he  remained  until  181 2,  when  he  sold  out  and  went  to 
the  West.  He  died  there  in  1830,  aged  about  90  years. 
He  married  Margery,  daughter  of  Josiah  Yerkes,  of 
Moreland.  She  died  in  1835.  Their  children  were  Ann, 
Josiah,  Mary,  Rebecca,  Jacob,  Yerkes,  and  Jonathan. 

(3.)  Jacob  and  (4)  Philip,  resided  in  Philadelphia 
until  the  Revolutionary  War,  when  they  entered  the  Con- 
tinental Army,  and  were  both  slain  during  the  struggle. 

(5.)  Martin,,  was  born  in  Philadelphia.  He  was  a 
hatter  by  trade,  his  place  of  business  being  in  Second 
Street,  between  Race  and  Vine.  He  married  Rosanna 
Essler,  of  Philadelphia.  Children:  Maria,  John,  JaJcob, 
Martin,  William,  Sophia,  and  Thomas. 

(2.)  Peter  and  Margery  Saurman's  Children. 

(6.)  Ann,  married  James  Vansant,  of  Somerton, 
Twenty-third  Ward,  Philadelphia.  He  was  a  carpenter, 
and  some  time  after  his  marriage  moved  to  Trenton,  and 
still  later  to  Philadelphia.  Ann  died  in  1845.  Children: 
Thomas  Jefferson,  Julia  Ann,  Cornelius,  Austin,  and 
Alfred. 


346  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(7.)  JosiAH^  learned  the  shoemaker  trade,  and  went 
to  West  Virginia,  where  he  married.  In  1840  he  removed 
to  Sandusky  County,  Ohio.  Children :  Mary  Ann,  Eliza- 
beth, Archibald,  Ebenezer,  and  two  or  three  others. 

(8.)   Mary,  remained  single,  still  living. 

(9.)  Rebecca,  remained  single.  She  died  in  1859,. 
aged  75  years. 

(10.)  Jacob,  was  born  in  Moreland,  Montgomery 
County,  April  14,  1789.  He  married  Sarah,  daughter  of 
Daniel  Hallowell,  in  18 19,  and  settled  in  Cheltenham.  In 
1823,  he  moved  to  a  farm  in  Moreland,  Philadelphia, 
which  he  afterwards  purchased.  He  remained  on  this 
farm  until  within  a  short  period  of  his  death.  During 
his  entire  life  he  was  an  ardent  Democrat,  and  much  at- 
tached to  the  principles  of  that  party.  He  took  an  active 
part  in  the  local  affairs  of  the  township  in  which  he  lived, 
and  was  frequently  called  upon  to  fill  the  various  local 
offices.  He  was  a  warm  friend  to  public  education,  and 
was  one  of  the  first  Directors  under  the  Public  School 
system  in  Moreland.  He  favored  every  work  of  public 
improvement,  and  fully  kept  pace  with  the  age  in  which 
he  lived.  In  1853,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  Common 
Council,  in  Philadelphia,  and  served  one  term.  In  1864, 
he  removed  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  died,  July  27,  1865, 
aged  76  years,  much  respected  by  a  large  circle  of  friends. 
His  children  are,  George  W.,  Charles  E.,  Mary  L.,  Caro- 
line W.,  Ellen  L.,  Norris  S.,  John  W.,  and  Benjamin  F. 

(11.)  Yerkes,  was  born  in  Moreland,  January  20, 
1 79 1.  He  went  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  learned  the 
trade  of  copper-plate  printer,  which  he  followed  for  sev- 
eral years,  after  which  he  became  a  real  estate  agent.    He 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  347 

married  Mrs.  Martha  Brown,  who  had  two  children, 
Susanna  and  Joseph.  By  her  he  had  the  following  chil- 
dren: Maria,  Angeline,  Rebecca,  Abner,  Amanda,  and 
Madison. 

(i2.)  Jonathan^  married  Sarah  McChan,  and  set- 
tled in  Chester  County,  where  he  resided  for  several  years,. 
after  which  he  moved  to  Abington,  and  thence  to  Phila- 
delphia. While  in  Philadelphia  he  was  occupied  as  a 
pump-maker,  and  was  killed  in  1850,  while  blowing  the 
rocks  in  a  well  which  he  was  digging.  Children:  Sarah 
Ann,  Mary,  Caroline,  Augustus,  George,  and  William. 

(5.)  Martin  and  Rosanna  S airman's  Children. 
(13.)   Maria,  died  of  yellow  fever  in  1794;  unmar^ 


ried. 


THE  TOWNSEND  FAMILY.* 


(i.)  Thomas  Townsend,  and  Sarah,  his  wife,  came 
from  Westbury,  Long  Island,  and  settled  in  Chester 
County,  Pennsylvania,  previous  to  1 734.  They  had  seven 
children:  Hannah,  Thomas,  Nathaniel,  Sarah,  Phebe, 
Thomas,  and  John.  After  the  death  of  (i)  Thomas,. 
Sarah,  with  her  children,  Sarah,  Thomas,  and  John,  re- 
moved to  Byberry,  in  1735.  She  subsequently  married 
George  James,  but  had  no  children.  She  died  ist  mo. 
25th,  1773,  aged  82  years."**^ 

*  Furnished  by  Watson  Comly,  of  Byberry. 

**The  old  Townsend  homestead  at  Westbury  still  remains.  So 
far  as  we  have  been  able  to  discover,  this  family  is  not  related  to 
Richard  Townsend,  the  "Welcome"  passenger. 


348  THE  HISTORY  OF 

f 

(i.)   Thomas  and  Sarah  Tozvnsend's  Children. 

Of  Hannah,  Nathaniel,  and  Phebe,  we  have  no 
account. 

(2.)  Sarah,  born  12th  mo.  26th,  1713,  married  Silas 
Titus,  from  Long  Island,  and  settled  in  Byberry.  Chil- 
dren :  Nathaniel  and  Silas,  both  of  whom  died  of  small- 
pox, in  1757;  and  Phebe,  who  married  Edward  Parry, 
who  for  many  years  kept  the  hotel  at  Bell's  Corner. 

(3.)  Thomas,  born  8th  mo.  5th,  1720,  settled  on  lands 
adjoining  the  Poquessing  Creek,  where  he  built  a  saw- 
mill. He  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Evan  and 
Rachel  Thomas.  Children :  Rachel,  Sarah.  Martha,  Evan, 
Ann,  Hannah,  Thomas,  Jesse,  Phebe,  Elizabeth,  and  Sam- 
uel. He  died  12th  mo.  28th,  1794;  and  Elizabeth  died 
8th  mo.  2 1  St,  1769,  aged  49  years. 

(4.)  John,  born  ist  mo.  7th,  1724,  purchased  a  prop- 
erty on  the  Poquessing,  adjoining  that  belonging  to 
Thomas,  on  which  he  erected  a  flour-mill.  Here  he  spent 
his  life.  He  married  Grace,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Croas- 
dale,  of  Bucks  County,  and  settled  on  the  Poquessing 
Creek,  in  Byberry.  He  was  remarkable  for  the  regularity 
of  his  temper  and  conduct  through  the  whole  course  of 
his  life,  which  was  consistent  with  his  high  professions, 
he  being  a  member  of  Byberry  Monthly  Meeting,  and 
occupying  the  station  of  Elder  for  nearly  forty  years. 
In  1768  he  was  appointed  Clerk  of  the  Meeting,  which 
station  he  filled  with  more  than  ordinary  ability.  In 
all  the  concerns  of  civil  and  social  duty  he  supported  the 
character  of  a  sincere  and  well-meaning  man,  and  was 
universally  respected  and  beloved.  He  was  greatly  inter- 
ested in  the  education  of  youth,  and  much  of  the  effici- 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  349 

ency  of  Friends'  school  at  Byberry  was  owing  to  his  care 
and  attention.  As  an  author,  he  possessed  more  than 
ordinary  abihty,  and  two  excellent  essays  of  his  were 
published  in  ^'Friends'  Miscellany."  He  died  4th  mo.  5thy 
1800,  aged  "j^  years.  She  died  6th  mo.  23d,  1803.  Chil- 
dren: Phebe,  Sarah,  Ezra,  and  John. 

(3.)  Thomas  and  Elisabeth  Townsend's  Children. 

(5.)  Rachel,  born  nth  mo.  26th,  1742,  married  Jos- 
eph Knight.     She  died  in  1769. 

(6.)  Sarah^  born  6th  mo.  4th,  1744,  married  Giles 
Knight.  She  died  nth  mo.  27th,  1775.  Children:  Town- 
send,  Giles,  Joseph  T.,  and  Thomas. 

(7.)  Martha,  born  6th  mo.  loth,  1746;  died  8th  mo.. 
28th,  1769. 

(8.)  Evan,  born  8th  mo.  14th,  1748,  married  Abi 
James.  He  died  12th  mo.  24th,  1824.  She  died  in  June^ 
1819.  Children:  Thomas,  Margery,  John,  Elizabeth,. 
Rachel,  Robert,  Evan,  Abi,  and  Martha. 

(9.)  Thomas,  born  ist  mo.  loth,  1756;  died  9th  mo. 
8th,  1769. 

(10.)  Jesse,  born  2d  mo.  15th,  1758;  died  in  1769. 

(11.)  Phebe,  born  12th  mo.  20th,  1760,  married  Jesse 
James.  She  died  9th  mo.  25th,  1832.  Children:  Samuel^ 
Thomas,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Joanna,  Jesse,  Phebe,  and  Abi. 

(4.)  John  and  Grace  Townsend's  Children. 

(12.)  Phebe,  born  5th  mo.  7th,  1746;  died,  unmar- 
ried, loth  mo.,  8th,  1783. 

(13.)  Sarah,  born  8th  mo.  29th,  1748;  died,  unmar- 
ried, 3d  mo.  2d,  1770. 


350  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(14.)  Ezra,  born  4th  mo.  14th,  1760,  married  Eliza- 
l)eth,  daughter  of  James  and  Susannah  Paul,  and  settled 
on  the  old  homestead.  Few  men  stood  higher  in  the  esti- 
mation of  the  community  than  Ezra  Townsend.  His  chil- 
dren were,  John  P.,  James,  Grace,  Susan,  Sarah,  Eliza- 
beth, Tacy,  and  Ezra. 

(8.)  Evan  and  Abi  Townsend' s  Children. 

(15.)  Thomas,  born  9th  mo.  3d,  1773,  married  Eliza- 
"beth  Strickland.  They  removed  to  Black  River,  New 
York.    Children :  Jesse,  Sarah,  Ann,  Thomas,  and  Abi. 

(16.)  Margery,  born  6th  mo.  24th,  1775,  married 
William  Walmsley.  She  died  2d  mo.  ist,  1832.  Children : 
Robert  and  Jesse. 

(17.)  John,  born  3d  mo.  ist,  1777,  married  Asenath 
Strickland,  and  went  to  Black  River.  Children :  Robert, 
Mary,  Martha,  Ezra,  John,  Evan,  and  Abi. 

(18.)  Elizabeth,  born  6th  mo.  3d,  1779,  married 
Isaac  Bolton,  and  went  to  Lancaster  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania. Children:  Evan,  Sarah,  Abi,  Jason,  and  Eliza- 
beth. 

(19.)  Evan,  born  4th  mo.  25th,  1788,  married  Eliza- 
beth Carver.  He  died  in  1846.  Children:  Thomas,  Abi, 
Mary,  Mahlon,  William,  and  Sarah. 

( 14.)  Ezra  and  Elisabeth  Townsend' s  Children. 

(20.)  John  P.,  born  6th  mo.  loth,  1787,  married 
Rachel  Wilson.  Children :  Ezra,  Wilson  and  Paul,  twins, 
Jesse,  Grace  and  Sallie  Ann,  twins,  and  Rachel. 

(21.)  James,  born  ist  mo.  12th,  1789,  married,  first, 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  35  I 

Eliza  "Raison,  and  had  one  child,  Tacie.  He  married, 
second,  Sarah  Knight.  Children :  Elizabeth,  Maggie,  and 
Carrie. 

(22.)  .Susan,  married  Israel  Walton. 

(23.)  Sarah,  married  Benjamin  Cadwalader.  Chil- 
dren :  Hannah,  who  married  Jonathan  Gillam ;  and  Eliza- 
beth, who  married  Joseph  Comly. 

(24.)   Grace,  married  James  Thornton. 

(25.)  Elizabeth,  married  Warder  Cresson.  Chil- 
dren :  Ezra,  John,  Jacob,  Clement,  and  Anna  Bella. 

(26.)  Tacy,  married  Charles  Walmsley.  Children: 
Elizabeth,  Agnes,  Susan,  and  Beulah. 

THE  THORNTON  FAMILY. 

James,  son  of  James  Thornton,  was  born  at  Stony- 
Stratford,  Buckinghamshire,  England,  in  1727,  and  came 
over  to  America  in  1750.  In  1752  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Byberry,  having  purchased  the  farm  still  in  the 
possession  of  the  family,  where  he  lived  the  remaining 
part  of  his  life.'*^  He  was  a  man  of  superior  abilities 
and  of  rare  qualifications  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel. 
-There  was  a  dignity  about  his  personal  appearanlce,  and 
a  forcibleness  in  his  declamation,  vouchsafed  to  but  few. 
Upon  rising  to  speak  he  always  remained  silent  for  a  few 
moments,  then  slowly  uttered  a  few  words,  but  as  he  pro- 
<:eeded  in  his  discourse  his  whole  being  seemed  to  be  fired 
with  the  thoughts  which  he  was  uttering,  and  his  voice 
and  manner  on  such  occasions  became  solemnly  impres- 
sive.    He  was  considered  eminent  in  the  ministry,  and 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Jesse  Tomlinson. 


352  THE  HISTORY  OF 

# 

traveled  extensively,  both  in  America  and  England,  in 
that  capacit}^  In  social  conversation  he  was  pleasant 
and  cheerful,  but  never  light  or  trifling;  and  he  always 
clothed  his  thoughts  in  such  plain  language  that  his  mean- 
ing was  clearly  understood  by  all.  James  Thornton  was 
not  perfection,  but  the  errors  he  made  were  of  the  head 
rather  than  of  the  heart,  and  his  contemporaries  all  unite 
in  considering  him  an  honorable  and  highly  useful  mem- 
ber of  society.  He  was  the  principal  minister  at  Byberry 
for  forty  years,  and  during  that  time  he  made  several 
religious  visits  to  different  parts  of  the  country, — the 
first  to  Delaware  and  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Maryland  in 
1780;  and  afterwards  to  New  Jersey  in.  1 781,  and  to  New 
York  in  1793.  Mary,  his  wife,  was  also  a  paragon  of 
excellence,  both  in  domestic  and  other  matters,  so  that 
from  a  very  moderate  beginning  they  soon  attained  a 
competence.  She  was  also  of  a  literary  turn,  and  among 
other  articles  composed  an  essay  on  the  death  of  her  son, 
Asa,  which  was  a  production  of  considerable  merit.  James 
died  in  8th  mo.,  1794,  leaving  a  son,  James,  who  succeed- 
ed to  the  estate. 

Mapy^  died  in  1793.  Children:  Lydia,  Joseph,  James, 
and  Asa.  Of  these  Asa  died  while  a  vouth;  James  died 
unmarried  in  1794,  aged  33  years.  Horsham  Monthly 
Meeting  issued  a  testimony  concerning  him,  in  which  "he 
was  stated  to  be  a  pious  young  man,  and  a  bright  exam- 
ple for  the  young  men  of  his  day."  He  was  of  a  literary 
turn,  and  a  manuscript  volume  of  his  poems  is  still  ex- 
tant. Lydia  married  William  Walton;  Joseph  married 
Hannah  Warrington,  of  New  Jersey,  and  settled  in  By- 
berry,  where  he  died  in  1790,  leaving  one  son,  James, 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  353 

who  married,  first,  Grace,  daughter  of  Ezra  and  Elizabeth 
Townsend,  and  settled  on  the  old  homestead.  They  liad 
one  daughter,  Elizabeth,  who  married  Dr.  Isaac  Comly. 
After  his  wife's  death,  James  married  Rebecca  Stokes, 
of  Moorestown,  New  Jersey.  Children:  James,  John, 
and  Edmund. 

THE  WALMSLEY  FAMILY.* 

The  earliest  mention  of  the  Walmsley  family  that  we 
have  seen,  is  a  certificate  from  Settle  Monthly  Meeting 
of  Friends,  near  Bristol,  England,^^  containing  a  list  of 
the  names  of  Friends  who  were  about  to  remove  to  Penn- 
sylvania, in  which  there  is  mention  of  Thomas  Walmsley, 
Elizabeth,  his  wife,  and  six  minor  children.  This  was 
about  the  time  of  Penn's  first  visit  to  Pennsylvania.  Ac- 
cording to  Watson's  Annals,  some  of  the  earlier  emigrant 
ships  were  nearly  three  months  on  the  passage,  during 
which  time  the  small-pox  broke  out  among  the  immi- 
grants, and  about  forty  of  them  died.  As  there  is  no 
account  of  more  than  three  of  Thomas  Walmsley's  chil- 
dren in  this  country,  to  wit,  Thomas,  Henry,  and  Eliza- 
beth, it  is  probable  that  the  rest  died  while  coming  over. 

Thomas  before  leaving  England  bought  a  tract  of  land 
on  the  Neshaminy  Creek,  in  Bucks  County,  probably  near 
Hulmeville.  As  he  designed  building  a  mill  on  that 
stream  he  brought  from  England  the  irons  and  several 
other  articles  for  its  construction,  from  which  we  infer 

*  I  am  indebted  to  Watson  Comly,  of  Byberry,  for  the  greater  part 
of  the  genealogy  of  this  family. 

*"  Settle  Monthly  Meeting  was  in  Yorkshire  and  not  near  Bristol 
in  Gloucestershire. 


354  THE  HISTORY  OF 

that  he  was  a  man  of  property.  They  landed  at  Burling- 
ton, New  Jersey,  and  within  two  weeks  of  the  time  of 
landing  he  was  attacked  with  dysentery,  from  which  he 
died.  His  three  children  were  thus  left  under  the  care 
of  their  mother,  who  was  a  very  estimable  woman.  She, 
however,  married  John  Pursley  about  two  years  sub- 
sequently. 

THOMAS   WALMSLEY   AND   HIS   DESCENDANTS. 

Thomas,  the  elder  son  of  Thomas,  married  Mary, 
daughter  of  John'*^  Paxson,  in  1698,  and  settled  first 
in  Bensalem,  probably  on  his  father's  farm,  but  not  being 
satisfied  he  sold  that  place  and  bought  fifty  acres  of  Cross's 
patent  in  Byberry,  recently  owned  by  Charles  Walms- 
ley,^*  one  of  his  descendants.  He  removed  to  this  place 
in  1703,  and  resided  there  the  remainder  of  his  life.  Hie 
soon  afterwards  purchased  fifty  acres  of  the  Tibby  tract 
adjoining,  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  of  Henry 
English,  and  eight  acres  of  Joseph  Knight,  where  Robert 
Purvis  now  lives."^^  He  also  owned  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  acres  in  Middletown,  Bucks  County,  fifty 
acres  where  Spencer  Worthington  now  lives,^^  a  farm  at 
the  foot  of  Edge  Hill,  now  William  F.  Ervin*s,  also  four 
hundred  acres  in  Buckingham.  The  latter  farm  was  so 
far  back  in  the  woods  that  he  traded  with  one  of  the  Car- 
vers for  the  lands  lately  belonging  to  Jesse  Walmsley  and 

"  This  should  be  William. 

**This  property  is  now  owned  by  Elijah  Osmond. 
**  This  property  is  now  owned  by  John  Dillworth.  ' 

*"  Wilmer  Worthington  now  owns  this  property.  .' 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  355 

William  Walmsley,^^  giving  two  acres  for  one.  He  was 
a  farmer  and  dealer  in  horses,  and  was  very  successful 
in  both.  He  is  represented  as  a  quiet,  peaceable  man,  at- 
tending to  his  private  business,  and  doing  but  little  in  the 
.affairs  of  either  Church  or  State.  He  had  good  natural 
abilities,  and  although  successful  in  accumulating  prop- 
-erty  was  not  at  all  parsimonious.  As  a  proof  of  this, 
liaving  a  niunber  of  daughters,  most  of  whom  were  mar- 
ried in  meeting,  he  made  provision  to  entertain  laige  com- 
panies of  wedding  guests,  sometimes  amounting  to  more 
itlian  a  hundred ;  and  on  one  occasion  after  meeling  l)roke 
up,  he  inv'ited  the  whole  congregation  to  dine  wrh  him. 
He  was  considered  a  wealthy  man,  and  his  property  con- 
sisted principally  of  lands  and  horses.  His  house  con- 
tained three  rooms,  which  were  built  at  different  times; 
it  was  one  story  high,  and  was  covered  with  oak  shingles. 
He  died  in  1754,  aged  about  80  years.  His  widow  died 
in  1755,  aged  79  years.  Children:  Thomas,  William, 
Elizabeth,  Agnes,  Mary,  Abigail,  Phebe,  Esther,  and 
Martha.  In  his  will  Thomas  Walmsley  left  fifty  acres 
to  his  daughter  Mary,  the  Edge  Hill  property  to  Abigail, 
and  the  remainder  of  his  real  estate  to  his  son  William. 

(2.)  Thomas  and  Mary  Walmsley' s  Children. 

(3.)  Thomas,  married  Hannah,  daughter  of  WilHam 
Walton,  the  preacher,  in  1728.  They  settled  on  the  Edge 
Hill  farm,  and  within  a  year  from  their  marriage,  as  he 
was  returning  from  Horsham  meeting,  he  was  thrown 

"These  properties  now  belong  to  Frank  Dyer  and  Edwin  Tom- 
linson,  respectively. 


356  THE  HISTORY  OF 

from  his  horse  and  so  badly  injured  that  he  died  shortly 
afterwards. 

(4.)  William,  was  born  in  Byberry,  in  1709.  In 
1735  ^^  married  Sarah  Titus,  of  Long  Island,  and  settled 
where  Edwin  Tomlinson  now  lives. 

On  the  occasion  of  his  marriage,  Friends  gave  him  a 
certificate,  stating  that  ''he  was  of  a  sober  and  orderly 
behavior,  and  in  good  unity  with  them."  He  seems  to 
have  sustained  this  good  character,  and  to  have  advanced 
in  the  good  opinion  of  his  contemporaries,  as  we  find  him 
filling  several  important  positions  in  the  Meeting,  such  as 
clerk,  overseer,  and  elder,  all  of  which  were  to  the  satis- 
faction of  his  friends.  He  wrote  a  good  plain  hand,  and 
kept  the  Meeting  records,  as  well  as  his  own  private  ac- 
counts, in  excellent  order ;  and  in  all  business  transactions 
he  was  very  correct  and  methodical.  He  inherited  con- 
siderable real  estate  in  Byberry  from  his  father,  also,  a 
number  of  slaves,  which  he  afterwards  emancipated.  He 
was  justly  esteemed  as  an  honest  and  upright  man.  His 
wife  died  in  1763,  and  in  1764  he  married  Susanna, 
widow  of  Walter  Comly.  He  died  in  1773,  aged  64 
years,  leaving  five  children  by  his  first  wife:  Thomas, 
William,  Silas,  Mary,  and  Sarah.  Susanna,  his  widow, 
died  in  1795,  aged  81  years. 

(5.)   Elizabeth,  married  Jeremiah  Walton,  in  17 18. 

(6.)  Agnes,  married  Job  Walton,  in  1728. 

(7.)  Mary,  married  John  Worthington. 

(S.)  Abigail,  married  Isaac  Comly,  in  1738. 

(9.)   Piiebe,  married  Isaac  Carver,  in  1742. 

(10.)   Esther,  married  Stephen  Parry,  in  1755. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  357 

(ii.)  Marti-ia^  married  David  Parry,  in  1761.  Chil- 
dren :  Martha  and  David. 

(4.)  William  and  Sarah  Walmsley's  Children. 

(12.)  Thomas^  married  Agnes  Mason,  of  Fair  Hill, 
in  1768.  He  inherited  from  his  father  the  homestead, 
with  168  acres  of  land,  also  one-third  of  the  Middletown 
tract,  and  a  lot  of  land  in  Smithfield.  He  afterwards  sold 
the  Middletown  and  Smithfield  tracts.  He  was  a  man  of 
more  than  ordinary  abilities,  and  was  noted  for  his  indus- 
try and  honesty.  He  was  so  peaceable  that  his  neighbors 
said  they  did  not  recollect  that  he  ever  had  a  quarrel  with 
any  one.  He  held  a  respectable  position  in  Meeting 
affairs,  being  Overseer  for  many  years,  and  an  Elder 
during  the  last  thirty  years  of  his  life.  In  person  he  was 
rather  above  middle  size :  strong-built,  though  not  fleshy, 
and  possessed  of  great  strength.  His  health  was  remark- 
ably good  until  a  short  time  previous  to  his  decease.  In 
1792  he  buried  his  first  wife,  and  in  1794  married  Ruth 
Kirk,  of  Little  York,  an  eminent  minister  in  the  Society 
of  Friends.  Pie  died  in  1819,  aged  82  years.  Ruth  died 
in  1798.  His  children  by  the  first  wife  were  Benjamin, 
Mary,  Asa,  Richard,  Thomas,  and  William. 

(13.)  William,  married  Abigail,  daughter  of  Giles 
Knight,  in  1764.  They  settled  first  in  Middletown,  but 
afterwards  removed  to  B'yberry,  and  built  the  house  where 
Robert  Purvis  now  resides.  He  inherited  considerable 
property  from  his  father,  but,  like  many  others,  he  prefer- 
red an  easy  life  to  one  of  toil,  hence  his  estate  did  not 
increase.  He  was  possessed  of  good  natural  abilities,  yet 
he  took  but  little  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  neighbor- 


35^  THE  HISTORY  OF 

hood.  He  died  in  1819,  aged  79  years.  Abigail,  his 
widow,  died  nth  mo.  8th,  1820.  Children:  Sarah,  Giles, 
Mary,  Joseph,  and  Israel. 

(14.)  Silas,  married  Martha,  daughter  of  Walter 
Comly,  in  1765.    Children:  William,  Jesse,  and  Silas. 

(15.)  Mary_,  married  Thomas  Knight,  in  1759.  She 
died  in  1802,  aged  60  years,  leaving  no  children. 

(16.)  Sarah,  married  Isaac  Bolton,  in  1766,  and  set- 
tled near  the  county  line  in  Southampton.  Isaac  died  in 
1783,  and  his  widow  and  children  moved  to  the  house  now 
occupied  by  William  Forrest,"^^  in  Byberry.  She  died  in 
1795-  Children:  William,  Joseph,  Isaac,  Mary  and 
Margaret  (twins),  Jesse,  Thomas,  and  Sarah. 

David  and  (11)  Martha  Parry's  Children. 

(17.)  Martha,  married  David  Cummings,  of  Phila- 
delphia. 

(18.)  David,  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Mordecai 
Thomas.    Children:  Joseph,  Samuel,  and  Martha. 

(12.)  Thomas  and  Agnes  Walmsley's  Children. 

(19.)  Benjamin,  married  Beulah  Newbold,  of  Spring- 
field, N.  J.,  and  settled  on  the  homestead  in  Byberry.  He 
was  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  several  years,  and  occupied 
a  prominent  position  in  the  affairs  both  of  the  church  and 
the  neighborhood.  He  died  at  about  the  age  of  70  years. 
Children :  Charles,  who  married  Tacy,  daughter  of  Ezra 
Townsend;  Agnes  (deceased),  and  Ann. 

(20.)  Mary,  died  young. 

*"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  John  Samms. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  359 

(21.)  Asa,  married  Mary  Paxson,  of  Bensalem.  He 
erected  the  buildings  now  occupied  by  Ross  M.  Knight,'*^ 
and  afterwards  kept  a  store  there  for  eleven  years.  He 
then  sold  the  property,  and  removed  to  the  farm  now 
owned  by  Horace  Smyth,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  days.  He  was  for  several  years  a  clerk,  overseer,  or 
elder,  in  the  meetings,  and  was  highly  respected.  His 
wife  died  in  1838.  Children:  Sarah;  Thomas,  who  mar- 
ried Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Ephraim  Haines;  Anna; 
Mary;  Morton,  who  married  Eliza  Moon;  Richard,  who 
married  Rebecca  Smith,  and  Margaret. 

(22.)   Richard,  died  young. 

(23.)  Thomas,  was  born  in  Byberry,  3d  mo.  25th, 
178 1.  In  the  early  part  of  his  life,  while  yet  a  schoolboy, 
he  gave  evidence  of  more  than  ordinary  talent,  and  ac- 
quired a  knowledge  of  all  the  branches  then  taught  in  the 
school  at  Byberry  Meeting  with  unusual  facility.  After 
having  mastered  all  these,  he  commenced  the  study  of 
Latin  under  a  ripe  scholar  and  an  excellent  teacher,  the 
late  John  Comly;  and  by  close  application,  along  with  a 
retentive  memory,  soon  gained  a  good  knowledge  of  that 
language.  He  had  a  great  love  for  books,  and  generally 
carried  one  with  him,  which  he  studied  whenever  oppor- 
tunity oftered.  He  became  particularly  interested  in  scien- 
tific subjects,  and  resolved  upon  becoming  a  physician. 
He  accordingly  entered  as  a  student  of  medicine  under 
Dr.  Gregg,  of  Attleboro',  Bucks  County,  where  he  re- 
mained closely  pursuing  his  studies  for  three  or  four 
years.  While  thus  engaged,  his  active  mind  led  him  into 
other  channels  of  learning,  and  we  find  him  the  ardent 

*"*  Lewis  Hall  now  ov/ns  this  property. 


360  THE  HISTORY  OF 

promoter  of  several  literary  societies.  He  then  went  to 
Philadelphia,  in  order  to  become  more  proficient  in  the 
various  branches  of  medicine,  and  attended  lectures  in 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  While  here  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  many  of  the  most  eminent  literary  men  of 
that  day,  from  whom  he  derived  much  profit,  as  they 
assisted  him  in  his  studies.  He  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Philadelphia  Medical  Society,  and  was  among  the 
original  founders  of  the  American  Linnsean  Society,  of 
which  he  became  Vice-President.  While  attending  lec- 
tures he  made  several  experiments  in  regard  to  the  absorp- 
tion of  medicines;  and  these  experiments,  together  with 
some  other  observations,  formed  the  basis  of  his  inaugural 
thesis  for  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine,  which  was 
conferred  upon  him  by  the  University  in  the  spring  of 
1803.  Soon  after  graduating  he  removed  to  Chambers- 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  obtained  considerable  prac- 
tice in  his  profession.  In  1805  he  was  solicited  by  Dr. 
Young  to  settle  in  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  where  a  physi- 
cian was  badly  needed,  and  he  concluded  to  remove 
thither.  In  the  8th  mo.  1806,  he  was  seized  with  bilious 
fever,  and,  after  twelve  weeks'  sickness,  died,  in  the 
twenty-sixth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  the  author  of  a 
number  of  original  essays,  political  and  scientific,  the 
former  of  which  was  published  in  the  newspapers  of 
Maryland,  and  the  latter  in  Barton's  Journal.  A  eulogium 
on  him  was  published,  but  has  probably  been  lost. 

(24.)  William,  went  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  was 
at  first  unsuccessful  in  business,  but  becoming  a  broker 
he  was  more  fortunate,  and  amassed  considerable  prop- 
erty.   He  died  single,  3d  mo.  27th,  1839. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  36 1 

(13.)   William  and  Abigail  Walmsley's  Children. 

(25.)  Sarah,  married  Thomas  Phipps,  of  Abington. 
Children:  Abigail,  who  married,  first,  Thomas  Stack- 
house;  second,  Robert  Eames;  Drusilla,  who  married 
John  Rowlett. 

(26.)  Giles,  was  subject  to  convulsions,  and  died  at  the 
age  of  forty. 

(2 J.)  Mary,  married,  first,  Joseph  Stackhouse.  He 
died  in  1806,  and  she  married,  second,  John  Lester,  of 
Richmond,  but  left  no  children. 

(2S.)  Joseph,  married  Ann,  daughter  of  John  Bartofi, 
near  Camden,  New  Jersey.  He  settled  where  Robert 
Purvis  now  resides.  He  was  very  successful  in  business, 
and  was  very  active  in  the  affairs  of  the  Meeting,  as  well 
as  the  neighborhood.  He  afterwards  moved  to  Frank- 
ford,  and  subsequently  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  died. 
Children :  Abigail,  Rebecca,  Morgan,  and  William. 

(29.)  Israel,  married  Rebecca,  daughter  of  William 
Walton,  and  settled  in  Byberry,  where  John  Comly  now 
lives.^^  He  died  in  1822,  from  a  fall  down  the  cellar 
steps,  leaving  one  child,  Delilah. 

henry  walmsley,  and  his  descendants. 

(i.)  Henry,  the  younger  son  of  Thomas,  married 
Mary  Searl,  in  1699.  They  settled  in  the  lower  end  of 
Southampton,  Bucks  County,  on  or  near  the  Lead  Mine 
Farm.  He  was  above  the  middle  size  of  men,  and  was 
a  jovial,  comical  sort  of  person.  He  did  not  inherit  much 
property  from  his  father,  and  never  became  so  wealthy  as 

""  This  is  now  the  residence  of  Charles  Osmond. 


362  THE  HISTORY  OF 

his    brother    Thomas.      He    died    in    1760.      Children: 
Thomas,  Francis,  EHzabeth,  Joan,  and  Rebecca. 

(i.)  Henry  and  Mary  Walmsley's  Children. 

(2.)  Thomas,  married  and  settled  on  the  homestead^ 
where  he  died,  in  1786.  Children:  Henry,  Ralph,  Mary^ 
Sarah,  and  Elizabeth. 

(3.)  Elizabeth,  married  William,  son  of  William  and 
Mary  Carver,  in  17 19,  and  settled  at  Buckingham. 

(4.)  Joan,  married  Thomas  Tomlinson,  in  17 19.  She 
died  in  1772. 

(2.)  Thomas  Walmsley's  Children. 

(5.)  Henry,  married,  first,  Martha,  daughter  of  Daniel 
Knight,  and  settled  on  the  Lead  Mine  Farm.  Children : 
Daniel  T.  and  Sarah.  After  Martha's  death  Henry  mar- 
ried Esther  Duncan,  but  had  no  children.  He  died  in 
1792. 

(6.)  Ralph,  settled  on  part  of  the  homestead.  He 
married,  and  had  two  sons,  Thomas  and  William. 

(7.)  Sarah,  married  John  Terry,  and  had  one  son, 
James,  and  probably  other  children. 

(8.)  Elizabeth,  married  Joseph,  son  of  Thomas 
Worthington. 

(5.)  Henry  and  Martha  Walmsley's  Children. 

(9.)  Daniel  T.,  married  Mary,  daughter  of  General 
Augustin  Willet.  He  inherited  a  large  portion  of  his 
father's  estate,  but  lost  the  greater  part  of  it.  Afterwards 
he  kept  tavern  at  Smithfield,  where  he  died,  leaving  chil- 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  363, 

dren :  Elizabeth,  Martha,  Sarah,  Mary,  Grace,  and  James 
Madison. 

(10.)  Sarah,  married  William  Ridge,  and  settled  in 
the  northern  part  of  Bensalem.  They  were  highly  re- 
spected in  the  community,  and  by  industry  acquired  a 
competent  estate.  They  had  children:  Isaac,  Daniel^ 
Martha,  William  H.,  Walmsley,  Rachel,  Effie,  Anna,  and 
Samuel. 

(9.)  Daniel  T.  and  Mary  Walmsley' s  Children. 

(11.)   Elizabeth,  died  unmarried. 

(12.)  Martha,,  married  Mahlon  Atkinson,  and  moved 
to  Drumore. 

(13.)   Sarah,  married  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush  Banes. 

(14.)   Mary,  married  Isaac  J.  Rush. 

(15.)  Grace,  married,  first,  Bernard  Walton;  second,. 
James  M.  Boileau. 

(16.)  James  Madison,  died  young. 

THE  WALTON  FAMILY.* 

The  name  of  Walton  frequently  occurs  in  Besse's  Ac- 
count of  the  Sufferings  of  Friends  in  England,  published' 
about  1 75 1.  The  first  of  that  name  who  came  to  America 
were  four  brothers,  Nathaniel,  Thomas,  Daniel,  and 
William,  who  arrived  at  Newcastle  early  in  1675.  They 
ascended  the  Delaware  River  and  settled  in  Byberry,  on 
land  now  owned  by  George  Dehaven.^^ 

*I  am  indebted  to  Watson  Comly,  of  Byberry,  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  genealogy  of  this  family. 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Col.  E  D.  Morrell.  It  lay  next 
to  the  farm  of  John  Hart  and  was,  as  the  text  states,  at  first  occupied 
by  the  four  brothers.  After  a  time  Nathaniel's  three  brothers  re- 
moved to  the  northward  and  Nathaniel  became  sole  proprietor. 


364  THE  HISTORY  OF  ' 

(l.)   NATHANIEL  WALTON,  AND  HIS  DESCENDANTS. 

In  the  records  of  the  Monthly  Meeting  of  Friends,  held 
alternately  at  Tacony  and  Poquessing,  we  find  that 
Nathaniel  Walton  had  their  approbation  to  accom- 
plish his  marriage  with  Martha  Bownall,  of  Philadelphia, 
which  was  accordingly  done  nth  mo.  26th,  1685.  When 
the  Keithian  controversy  divided  the  Society  of  Friends, 
Nathaniel  and  his  family  joined  the  Keithian  Church,  of 
which  John  Hart  was  the  minister.  When  Hart  joined 
the  Baptists,  Nathaniel  joined  the  "Church  at  All-Saints." 
In  a  letter  found  some  years  since,  written  by  Nathaniel 
to  his  brother  William,  dated  7th  of  October,  171 3,  he 
reminds  him  "that  he  paid  five  pounds  for  his  passage 
from  England,  which  had  not  been  repaid,  and  makes  a 
demand  for  the  money."  We  have  no  other  account  of 
him,  except  that  he  lived  on  property  now  belonging  to 
George  Dehaven,  and  left  two  sons,  Nathaniel  and  Benja- 
min. 

(i.)  Nathaniel  and  Martha  Walton's  Children. 

(2.)  Nathaniel,  was  a  schoolmaster  as  early  as  1727, 
and  Thomas  Chalkley  speaks  in  his  Journal  of  having 
sent  his  children  to  Nathaniers  school.  He  died  in  More- 
land,  back  of  Edge  Hill,  in  1784,  aged  about  80  years, 
and  left  two  sons,  B'oaz  and  Joseph. 

(3.)  Benjamin,  we  have  no  account  of,  except  that 
he  left  a  son,  Benjamin. 

(4.)  Joseph,  son  of  (2)  Nathaniel,  lived  on  property 
now  owned  by  William  Wenzell.^^    He  taught  the  school 

"This  property  is  now  owned  by  Colonel  E.  D.  Morrell. 


BYEERRY  AND  MORELAND.  365 

at  Byberry  for  fifteen  years,  after  which  he  moved  to  the 
Falls,  in  Bucks  County,  to  follow  his  profession.  It  is 
said  he  was  a  teacher  for  sixty  years.  He  died  loth  mo. 
4th,  1759.^3 

(5.)  Benjamin,  son  of  (3)  Benjamin,  was  a  rigid 
Whig  in  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  and  very  active  in 
his  distraints  upon  Friends  on  account  of  military  requisi- 
tions, exorbitant  in  his  seizures,  and  of  imperious  dispo- 
sition. He  was  commonly  called  *'Black  Ben,"  on  account 
of  his  dark  complexion,  and  to  distinguish  him  from 
another  of  the  same  name. 

(l.)    THOMAS  WALTON,  AND   HIS  DESCENDANTS. 

(i.)  Thomas  Walton,  the  second  of  the  four 
brothers,  settled  back  of  Smithfield  (Somerton),  on  the 
Horsham  Road,  in  the  manor  of  Moreland.  Nothing  is 
known  of  his  history,  except  that  he  married  Priscilla 
Hunn,  of  Philadelphia,  12th  mo.  24th,  1689  (O.  S.),  and 
that  he  died  in  1758,  at  a  very  advanced  age,  probably 
near  one  hundred  years.    He  left  several  children. 

(2.)  Ti-ioMAS,  son  of  (i)  Thomas,  lived  with  his 
father,  and  was  a  preacher  in  the  Society  of  Friends.  He 
usually  walked  to  meeting  at  Byberry,  a  distance  of  five 
miles,  and  officiated  when  no  other  minister  was  present. 
He  was  afterwards  disowned  for  not  paying  his  debts. 
He  was  commonly  designated  as  the  "Old  Bishop."  He 
died  1st  mo.  31st,  1777,  aged  84  years,  unmarried. 

"  This  date  is  either  incorrect  or  the  facts  are  confused.  If 
Joseph  died  in  1759  and  taught  school  for  sixty  years,  he  must  have 
begun  teaching  in  1699,  and  must  have  been  born  at  least  nineteen 
years  previous.  This  would  make  his  birth  1680  or  five  years  before 
his  grandfather  was  married  and  twenty-four  years  before  his  father 
was  born. 


366  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(l.)    DANIEL   WALTON,    AND    HIS   DESCENDANTS. 

(i.)  Daniel  Walton,  one  of  the  four  brothers,  set- 
tled on  his  tract  of  land  near  the  present  residence  of 
Linford  Tomlinson.^^  He  married  Mary  Lamb,  6th  mo. 
2ist,  1688  (O.  vS.)  Throughout  his  long  life  he  was 
much  respected,  and  was  considered  among  the  faithful 
Friends  of  that  day.  He  died  in  17 19,  leaving  seven 
children:  Samuel,  Daniel,  Joshua,  Joseph,  Benjamin, 
Nathan,  and  Mary.  Nearly  all  the  Waltons  at  present 
residing  in  the  vicinity  of  Byberry  are  descendants  of  the 
ancient  Daniel. 

(i.)  Daniel  and  Mary  Walton's  Children, 

(2.)  Samuel,  was  disinherited  by  his  father,  for  "dis- 
obedience to  his  mother,"  but  inherited  the  estate  belong- 
ing to  his  brother  Nathan,  who  died  intestate.  He  left 
the  neighborhood  and  settled  near  Quakertown,  in  Bucks 
County.  He  had  four  sons,  Samuel,  Benjamin,  Abraham, 
and  Jacob,  most  of  whom  emigrated  to  the  Western  coun- 
try. 

(3.)  Daniel,  married Clifton,  and  settled  whe^ 

English  Knighf^^  now  lives.  His  farm  extended  east- 
ward to  John  Samm's  Corner.  He  left  three  children, 
Daniel,  Jane,  and  Massy. 

(4.)  Joshua,  took  the  western  part  of  his  father's 
farm,  and  settled  where  Watson  Tomlinson  now  lives. 
He  married  Catharine  Albertson,  usually  called  "Case 
Walton."     In  the  domestic  history  of  the  family  many 

**This  property  is  now  owned  by  Lewis  HaJI. 

•*  This  property  is  now  owned  by  English  Knight's  heirs. 


BYEERRY  AND  MORELAND.  36/ 

unpleasant  traits  are  apparent.  Joshua  committed  suicide 
ty  hanging  himself  to  a  tree  in  front  of  his  house,  and 
was  buried  in  one  of  his  back  fields.  His  widow  died  I2th 
mo.  1 8th,  1759.  For  many  years  after  the  death  of 
Joshua  the  premises  were  believed  by  the  superstitious  to 
be  haunted,  and  "marvellous  tales  were  told  of  sights, 
sounds,  and  presentations,  terrific  in  their  nature."  Men 
were  actually  frightened  from  the  'Timber  Swamp"  in 
the  daytime,  but  the  ghosts  have  since  departed.  Joshua 
left  three  sons :  Joshua,  who  died  in  1779;  Albertson,  and 
Jonathan. 

(5.)  Joseph^  married  Esther,  daughter  of  John  Carver, 
of  Buckingham.    Children :   Richard  and  Rachel. 

(6.)  Benjamin,  was  born  in  Byberry  about  1693.  ^^ 
married  Rebecca  Homer,  in  1724,  by  whom  he  had  nine 
children.  He  settled  on  his  father's  farm  in  Byberry,  and 
was  prosperous  in  business.  He  was  a  member  with 
Friends,  and  much  respected  by  his  contemporaries.  He 
died  in  nth  mo.  1753;  and  his  widow  in  8th  mo.,  1783, 
aged  79  years.  Rebecca  was  much  esteemed,  and  her 
virtues  are  handed  down  to  us  in  some  verses  made  by 
James  Thornton,  Jr.,  shortly  after  her  decease.  Their 
children  were,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Daniel,  Hannah,  Rebecca, 
Sarah,  Benjamin,  Esther,  and  William. 

(7.)  Mary,  married  William  Homer,  and  settled 
where  William  Carter^^  now  lives.  She  died  in  1788. 
Her  sons,  "Taff,  Joe,  and  Jake,  were  bachelors,  lounging 
about  home  and  drinking  a  great  deal  of  whiskey."  They 
Avere  called  "The  young  Homers,"  being  from  their 
father's  second  w4fe. 

^"This  property  is  now  owned  by  Benjamin  Carter. 


368  THE  HISTORY  OF  • 

(3.)  Daniel  Walton's  Children. 

(8.)  Daniel,  married  Axin,  daughter  of  Daniel 
Knight,  and  settled  on  the  homestead,  where  he  died  loth 
mo.  29th,  1776.    Children:   Daniel,  Aaron,  and  Ann. 

(9.)  Jane,  married  Isaiah  Walton. 

(10.)  Massy,  married  (9)  William,  grandson  of  (i) 
William  Walton,  the  preacher.     Child :  Jacob. 

(4.)  Joshua  and  Catharine  Walton's  Children. 

(ii.)  Albertson,  lived  where  George  Weiss^^  now 
owns.  During  the  Revolutionary  War  his  attachment  to 
the  British  led  him  to  secrete  his  title-papers  in  a  hollow 
tree,  and  join  the  English  army  in  New  York.  He  re- 
turned to  Byberry  after  the  war,  but  was  taken  and  tried 
for  treason.  He  was  acquitted,  but  lost  his  title-papers, 
and  had  to  apply  to  the  Legislature  to  make  his  title  good. 
He  died  in  1821,  aged  90  years.  Children:  Jesse,  Wil- 
liam, and  Jonathan. 

(12.)  Jonathan,  was  born  in  Byberry,  where  Watson 
Tomlinson  now  lives,  about  1733.  He  never  married; 
but  in  early  life  was  very  anxious  to  accumulate  property, 
and  frequently  plowed  all  night.  He  removed  to  a  farm 
on  Old  York  road,  near  Hartsville,  where  he  spent  the 
most  of  his  life,  and  where  he  died  in  1790.  He  is  partic- 
ularly noted  for  the  legacy  left  to  Byberry  Meeting,  called 
"Walton's  Donation,"  for  schooling  poor  children.  This 
amounted  to  $886.46,  the  income  of  which  has  been  judic- 
iously applied  to  the  benefit  of  many  children  who  would 
most  probably    have    otherwise    grown  up   without  any 

"This  property  is  now  owned  by  Samuel  Foster. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  369 

school  learning.  The  other  two-thirds  of  the  estate  were 
bequeathed,  for  similar  purposes,  to  Friends  of  Richland 
and  Horsham. 

(5.)  Joseph  and  Esther  Walton's  Children. 

(13.)  Richard,  married  Abigail,  widow  of  Isaac 
Comly  and  daughter  of  Thomas  Walmsley.  He  died 
loth  mo.  6th,  1776.  Children:  Joseph,  Benjamin,  and 
Esther. 

(6.)  Benjamin  and  Rebecca  Walton's  Children. 

(14.)  Elizabeth,  born  3d  mo.  27th,  1725,  married 
Bryan  Peart.  Children :  Benjamin,  who  moved  to  Salem, 
Ohio,  Rebecca  and  Thomas.  Bryan  Peart  died  in  1757, 
and  Elizabeth  married  Benjamin  Gilbert,  the  Indian  cap- 
tive, in  1760.  Children:  Jesse,  Abner,  Rebecca,  and 
Elizabeth.  On  account  of  her  captivity,  she  became  well 
known  to  the  public.  She  lived  about  thirty  years  after 
her  return,  and  was  universally  respected  by  her  numerous 
friends  and  connections,  and  peacefully  closed  her  earthly 
career,  at  her  residence  near  Fallow^field,  Chester  County, 
in  the  eighty-sixth  year  of  her  age. 

(15.)  Mary^  born  12th  mo.  17th,  1726,  married  David 
Thomas.    She  died  in  1804,  aged  78  years. 

(16.)  Daniel,  born  12th  mo.  ist,  1728,  married  Sarah, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Gilbert,  and  settled  near  the  Red 
Lion.  During  the  Revolutionary  War  he  suffered  much 
from  the  depredations  of  the  Continentals,  and  had  his 
barn  burnt  by  General  Lacy's  men.  He  died  near  Fallow- 
field,  Chester  County,  in  1798,  aged  70  years.  Sarah  died 
24 


370  THE  HISTORY  OF 

m  1785.  Children:  Rachel,  Rebecca,  Sarah,  Lydia,  Asa, 
Jesse,  and  Gilbert. 

(17.)  Hannah,  born  12th  mo.  28th,  1730,  remained 
unmarried ;  died  at  the  age  of  86.  She  was  a  poet,  and 
wrote  several  articles  which  were  circulated  in  MS. 

(18.)  Rebecca,  born  9th  mo.  24th,  1723,^^  married 
Joseph  Warrington,  of  Moorestown,  N.  J.  She  was 
highly  esteemed  as  a  worthy  member  of  society,  and  "was 
probably  as  near  perfection  as  mortals  ever  are."  She 
sometimes  wrote  poetry,  and  several  of  her  effusions  are 
still  extant.    vShe  died  7th  mo.  8th,  18 12. 

(19.)  Sarah,  twin  sister  of  Rebecca,  married  Thomas 
Knight  in  1771.  She  died  ist  mo.  4th,  1807.  Children: 
Amos,  Rebecca,  and  Esther. 

(20.)  Benjamin,  born  12th  mo.  ist,  1735,  married 
Abigail,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Gilbert.  After  living  a 
few  years  in  Byberry  they  moved  to  Fallowfield,  Chester 
County.  Children :  Benjamin,  Nathan,  Joseph,  Rebecca, 
Sarah,  Rachel  and  Elizabeth. 

(21.)  Esther,  born  3d  mo.  17,  1738,  married  (21) 
Thomas  Walton,  descendant  of  William. 

(22.)  William,  born  5th  mo.  29th,  1740,  married 
Lydia,  daughter  of  James  Thornton,  in  1771,  and  spent 
his  life  at  the  homestead  now  owned"  by  Linford  Tomlin- 
son.  He  inherited  a  small  estate  from  his  father,  to  which 
he  made  large  additions  by  the  industrious  and  prudent 
course  he  pursued.  For  many  years  previous  to  his  death, 
he  was  regarded  as  the  largest  landholder  and  the  most 
wealthy  man  in  either  township.  He,  however,  seems  not 
to  have  been  elated  by  his  wealth,  but  scrupulously  ad- 

"  1723  should  be  17.33.  ' 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  2)7^ 

hered  to  his  plain  old-fashioned  way  of  living,  and  made 
no  ostentatious  display.  He  carefully  maintained  a  con- 
•cern  for  the  institutions  and  principles  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  of  which  he  was  a  member ;  and  was  for  several 
years  a  clerk  of  the  Monthly  Meeting ;  afterward  an  over- 
seer, and  for  twenty-five  years  an  elder ;  he  was  the  author 
of  the  original  ''Narrative  of  the  Captivity  of  Benjamin 
Gilbert  and  Family  by  the  Indians."  He  died  the  14th  of 
5th  mo.  1824,  aged  eighty- four  years,  and  Lydia,  his 
widow,  died  2d  mo.  23d,  1827.  Children:  Beulah, 
James,  Martha,  Phebe,  Jabez,  Josiah,  Jason,  Rebecca, 
Israel,  Mary,  Joseph  Thornton,  and  Edmund. 

(23.)  Rebecca,  daughter  of  (20)  Benjamin,  married 
Benjamin  Kite.    She  died  12th  mo.  20th,  1840. 

(8.)  Daniel  and  Ann  Walton's  Children. 

(24.)  Daniel,  married  Elizabeth ,  and  settled  at 

Sandyford,^^  Some  of  his  descendants  now  live  in  Phila- 
delphia. 

(25.)  Aaron,  married  Ann  Thomas,  and  lived  on  the 
lower  end  of  the  old  homestead,  next  to  Samms's  Corner. 
He  died  12th  mo.  19th,  1834.  Children :  Brazilla,  Clifton, 
Maria,  and  Sindonia. 

{26.)  Ann,  married  John  Cornell. 

(13.)  Richard  and  Abigail  Walton's  Children. 
(27.)  Joseph,  married  Deborah  Lee.  Children:  Sarah, 
Abigail,  Deborah,  Asenath,  Agnes,  Ann,  and  John.     He 
died  3d  mo.  19th,  1821,  aged  6^;  Deborah  died  in  1840. 

■"  This  should  be  Sandiford  and  not  Sandvfcrd,  it  being  the  burial 
place  and  once  ihe  residence  of  Ralph  Sandiford. 


2;j2  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(28.)   Benjamin^  died  young. 

(29.)  Esther^  married  Ephraim  Howell.  Children: 
Joseph,  Rebecca,  Richard,  Abigail,  Mary,  Ephraim,  Eliza- 
beth, and  Deborah. 

(25.)  Aaron  and  Ann  Walton's  Children. 

(30.)  Brazilla,  married  Jane  Feaster;  died  12th  mo. 
27th,  1836. 

(31.)   Clifton,  died  9th  mo.  30th,  1838;  unmarried. 

(32.)  Maria,  married  Giles,  son  of  Joseph  T.  Knight. 
Children:    Abby  Ann,  and  Grace. 

(33.)  SiNDONiA,,  married  David,  son  of  David  and 
Elizabeth  Webster.  Children:  Aiaron,  Mary,  Thomas, 
Byron,  and  Warren. 

(l.)    WILLIAM  WALTON  AND  HIS  DESCENDANTS. 

(i.)  William,  one  of  the  four  brothers,  married 
Sarah  Howell,  4th  mo.  20th,  1689  (O.  S.),  and  located 
near  the  present  residence  of  Josiah  Walton.^^  He  was 
the  first  preacher  of  Byberry  Meeting  after  the  Keithian 
separation,  and  continued  the  principal,  if  not  the  only 
one,  for  the  next  forty  years.  But  little  account  of  his 
religious  labors  has  been  preserved ;  but  his  ministry  met 
with  the  approval  of  the  Meeting,  and  he  was  recom- 
mended as  a  minister.  In  171 7,  he  visited  all  the  families 
belonging  to  Byberry  Meeting;  and  in  1721,  in  company 
with  Richard  Busby,  paid  a  religious  visit  to  Maryland, 
Virginia,  and  Carolina.  This  gave  great  satisfaction  to 
those  visited,  and  on  his  return  he  produced  several  certifi- 

"This  property  is  now  owned  by  Thomas  Lees. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  373 

cates  from  meetings  visited,  stating  that  they  "felt  great 
unity  with  his  visit  of  love."  He  again  visited  the  families 
of  Byberry  in  1723,  and  was  then  accompanied  by  Henry 
Comly.  He  died  12th  mo.  9th,  lyz^-y  (O.  S.),  and  left 
ten  children :  Rachel,  Isaac,  Jeremiah,  Jacob,  Sarah,  Wil- 
liam, Abel,  Job,  Hannah,  and  Mary.  Although  this  family 
was  so  large,  and  many  of  their  descendants  still  reside 
in  Horsham,  yet  very  few  are  now  living  within  the  vicin- 
ity of  Byberry. 

The  name  of  William  Walton  has  been  so  frequently 
adopted  that  it  is  amusing,  without  intending  any  disre- 
spect, to  note  how  the  different  men  were  designated. 
The  first  was  William  Walton,  the  preacher ;  besides  him 
we  have  "William,  Jr.;  William  Walton,  Benjamin's  son; 
William  Walton,  Isaac's  son ;  William  Walton,  Job's  son ; 
William  Walton,  Abel's  son;  Billy  Thornton  Walton; 
Jersey  Billy;  Shoemaker  Billy;  Duke  Billy;  Pony  Billy; 
Hector  Billy;  Billy  Duke;  Soldier  Billy;  Shoe.  Billy's  son 
Bill;  Pony  Billy's  son  Bill;  and  Hector  Billy's  son  Bill.'* 

(i.)   William  and  Sarah  Walton's  Children. 

(2.)  Isaac,  left  three  children,  William  (Jersey  Billy), 
Jacob,  and  Isaac. 

(3.)  Jeremiah,  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
Thomas  Walmsley,  and  settled  near  Horsham.  He  died 
in  1 74 1.  Children:  William,  Thomas,  Rachel,  Jeremiah, 
Jacob,  James,  Mary,  Sarah,  Elizabeth,  and  Phebe.  Most 
of  the  Waltons  about  Horsham  are  of  this  family. 

(4.)  William,  died  unmarried. 

(5.)  Abel,  married  Rebecca,  daughter  of  Henry 
Walmsley,  and  lived  near  Somerton,  where  he  died  12th 


374  THE  HISTORY  OF 

mo.  25th,  1 77 1.    Children:  Abel,  Henry,  and  William. 

(6.)  Job,  married  Agnes,  daughter  of  Thomas  Walms- 
ley,  and  settled  where  Nathaniel  Richardson  now  lives. 
He  had  a  strong  constitution  and  performed  a  great  deal 
of  hard  work,  yet  did  not  get  rich.  He  sometimes 
preached  at  Byberry.  He  died  4th  mo.  i6th,  1784.  Chil- 
dren :  Isaac,  Sarah,  Job,  Isaiah,  Thomas,  Mary,  William, 
and  Elijah. 

(7.)  Hannah,  married,  first,  Thomas  Walmsley,  Jr., 
who  was  killed  by  being  thrown  from  his  horse,  in  1728; 
second,  Thomas  Mardon,  a  tailor,  "who  had  been  pur- 
chased from  off  shipboard''  by  George  James.  As  his 
time  of  servitude  had  not  expired,  his  wife  bought  the 
remainder  of  his  time.  She  died  in  1741.  Children: 
Rachel,  Mary,  Jacob,  and  Sarah. 

(8.)  Mary,  married  William  Homer,  and  settled  near 
Willow  Grove,  where  her  descendants  still  reside. 

(2.)  Isaac  Walton's  Children, 

(9.)  William  (Jersey  Billy),  married  (10)  Massy 
Walton,  descendant  of  ( i )  Daniel,  by  whom  he  had  one 
son,  Jacob.  After  her  decease  he  married  Rachel  Atkin- 
son, formerly  Gilbert.  He  lived  at  one  time  in  New  Jersey, 
hence  the  name  of  "Jersey  Billy."  He  was  a  strong  man, 
and  considered  himself  in  his  prime  at  65.  He  probably 
had  more  enjoyment  in  catching  "coons  and  wild  pig- 
eons," and  sports  of  a  similar  character,  than  any  other 
man  in  the  township.  He  loved  to  converse  upon  his 
hunting  adventures,  and  knew  every  place  frequented  by 
game  in  the  vicinity.  He  shot  the  last  bear  killed  in  either 
township,  in  a  large  tree  back  of  where  George  E.  Weiss 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  375 

now  lives.    He  died  in  1807,  aged  82  years.    Child  by  last 
wife,  William  (Billy  Broady). 

(10.)  IsAAC^  married  and  settled  in  Buckingham,  and 
was  the  father  of  Jacob  and  Benjamin  of  that  place. 

(3.)  Jeremiah  and  Elizabeth  Walton's  Children. 

(11.)  William,  married  and  had  seven  children,  all  of 
w^hom,  except  one,  died  before  they  were  seven  years  old. 

(12.)  Thomas,  married  and  settled  at  Horsham.  Chil- 
dren :  Jeremiah,  Silas,  Thomas,  Phebe,  and  Elizabeth. 

(13.)  Jeremiah,  was  a  short  fleshy  man,  and:  was 
called  "Chunky  Jerry."  He  married  and  settled  in  Upper 
Moreland.  Children:  Jesse,  Jeremiah,  Elizabeth,  Isaac, 
Joseph,  and  Jonathan. 

(14.)  Jacob,  married  and  settled  at  Horsham.  Chil- 
dren:   Isaiah  and  Charles. 

(5.)  Ahel  and  Rebecca  Walton's  Children. 

(15.)  Abel  had  eight  children:  Rebecca,  Mary,  Wil- 
liam, Abel,  Jonathan,  Elizabeth,  Henry  and  Silas. 

(16.)  William  (Old  Duke),  married  Mary  Davis, 
and  settled  in  Byberry.  Children:  William  (Young 
Duke),  Reese,  Abel,  and  Job. 

(6.)  Job  and  Agnes  Walton's  Children. 

(17.)  Isaac,  married  and  settled  on  the  York  Road, 
near  the  county  line.  He  had  one  son,  Jonathan,  who 
married  Hannah,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Worthington, 
and  had  children :    Josiah,  Hannah,  and  Agnes. 


37^  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(i8.)  Sarah,  married  Jacob  Tompkins,  of  Philadel- 
phia. 

(19.)  JoB^  married  Margaret  Powel,  in  1763,  and  set- 
tled in  Middletown.  They  afterwards  moved  to  a  farm 
on  the  York  Road,  near  Hartsville,  where  they  ended 
their  days.    Children :  Job  and  Isaac. 

(20.)  Isaiah^  married  Sarah  Pennington,  and  resided 
in  Bensalem,  near  the  river.  Children:  Isaiah,  Mary, 
Jane,  and  Agnes. 

(21.)  Thomas,  married  (21)  Esther  Walton,  descend- 
ant of  ( I )  Daniel,  and  resided  on  a  farm  now  owned  by 
Isaac  Tomlinson.^^  He  afterwards  traded  this  farm  to 
Jacob  Comly  for  a  mill  on  the  Pennypack  Creek.  Chil- 
dren :  Solomon,  Mary,  Amelia,  Thomas,  Rebecca,  Keziah, 
Abiathar,  and  Asher. 

(22.)  Mary,  married Lloyd.    Children:  Martha 

and  Samuel. 

(23.)  William  (Shoemaker  Billy),  married  Mary 
Search,  and  lived  in  Byberry.  Children:  William  (Old 
Boy),  Elijah,  Mary,  Agnes,  Amos,  Christopher,  and  Job. 

(24.)  Elijah,  married  and  lived  in  Horsham. 

(y.)  Hannah  (Walton)  Walmsley's  Children. 

(25.)  Rachel,  Mary,  and  Jacob  died  single. 

(26.)  Sarah,  married  Jonathan  Wilson.  Children: 
Jacob,  Rachel,  and  Sarah.  Of  these  Jacob  married  Re- 
becca Thomas,  and  inherited  the  homestead  of  ( i )  Wil- 
liam. Children :  Ann,  Mardon,  Jonathan,  David,  Robert, 
Ethan,  Jabez,  and  Jehu  T.    Jacob  Wilson  died  9th  mo. 

"  This  property  is  now  owned  by  Joseph  Bavington. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  37/ 

30th,  1814,  and  Rebecca,  his  widow,  nth  mo.  25th,  1842. 
Sarah,  daughter  of  Jonathan  Wilson,  married  Jesse 
TomHnson,  of  Bensalem.     She  died  nth  mo.  3d,  1849. 
Children :  Jesse,  Rhoda,  and  Charles. 

{i2.)Thomas  Walton's  Children. 

{2y.)  Silas,  married  Phebe,  daughter  of  John  Parry. 
Children :  Thomas,  Margaret,  and  David.  Silas  died  9th 
mo.  19th,  1824. 

(28.)  Phebe,  married  Daniel  Shoemaker,  and  had 
three  daughters,  who  severally  married  Joseph  Foulke, 
Salathiel  Cleaver,  and  Nathan  Cleaver. 

(15.)  Ahel  Walton's  Children. 

(29.)  William  (Pony  Billy),  married  Mary, 
daughter  of  Henry  Ridge,  and  settled  near  the  Cross- 
roads, in  Byberry. 

(30.)  Mary,  married  John  Sickel,  and  settled  in  Ben- 
salem. 

THE  WORTHINGTON  FAMILY.* 

The  WoRTHiNGTONS  came  originally  from  Lancashire, 
England.  The  first  of  them  that  emigrated  to  America 
were  three  brothers,  John,  Samuel,  and  Thomas,  who 
reached  Byberry  in  1705.  Two  others,  Daniel  and 
Richard,  are  mentioned  about  the  same  period,  but  they 
were  probably  of  a  different  family. 

In  the   records    of    Abington    Meeting,    we  find  that 

*I  am  indebted  to  Thomas  Warner,  of  Wrightstown,  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  genealogy  of  this  family. 


37^  THE  HISTORY  OF 

"Daniel  Worthington  brought  a  certificate  there  for  him- 
self and  wife  from  Philadelphia,  loth  mo.  30th,  1728." 

An  old  family  record  of  Wrightstown  states  that 
Richard  Worthington  and  wife  were  living  there  previous 
to  1750.  They  had  children:  Mahlon,  born  12th  mo. 
19th,  1750,  married  Mary  Paxson;  John,  born  9th  mo. 
2 1  St,  1753,  died  in  infancy;  Joseph,  born  9th  mo.  I9thy 
1754,  married  Rebecca  Willet;  Mary,  born  2d  mo.  5th, 
1756,  married  Matthew  Wood;  Thomas, born  7th  mo.4th^ 
1758,  married  Amy  Paxson;  Sarah,  born  5th  mo.  ist, 
1760,  married  John  Wetherill;  Elizabeth,  born  ist  mo. 
4th,  1762,  married  Edmund  Plumly;  Tamor,  born  loth 
mo.  20th,  1763,  married  Jesse  Lacey;  John,  born  8th  mo. 
ist,  1765;  Hannah,  born  5th  mo.  i8th,  1767,  married 
Francis  Hood;  Letitia,  born  4th  mo.  i8th,  1769,  married 
Joseph  Collins;  William,  born  4th  mo.  8th,  1771,  married 

Thorn;  and  Isaac,  born  ist  mo.  20th,  1773,  married 

Elizabeth  Marcelius. 

Besides  Daniel  and  Richard,  the  record  of  Abington 
mentions  the  children  of  Thomas  and  Hannah  Worthing- 
ton as  follows:  Rebecca,  born  ist  mo.  17th,  1752;  John, 
born  9th  mo.  ist,  1753 ;  William,  born  6th  mo.  4th,  1755 ; 
Joseph,  born  loth  mo.  28th,  1757;  but  no  further  account 
of  them  has  been  found. 

Thomas,  one  of  the  three  brothers,  was  received  as  a 
member  by  the  Monthly  Meeting  of  Friends,  at  Bucking- 
ham and  Wrightstown,  in  1732.  About  two  years  subse- 
quently he  obtained  a  certificate  to  Abington  Monthly 
Meeting.  From  1733  to  1759  he  was  at  Byberry.  In  the 
latter  year  he  had  a  difficulty  with  one  Dunkin,  but  noth- 
ing further  is  known  of  him. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  3/9 

Samuel,  one  of  the  three  brothers,  took  a  certificate  for 
himself  and  wife  to  Abington,  loth  mo.  28th,  1724.  They 
had  been  lately  married.  They  settled  in  Byberry,  where 
they  remained  until  1732.  Some  time  after  that  they  re- 
moved to  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Maryland,  where  they 
spent  the  remainder  of  their  days.  It  is  said  their  descend- 
ants have  very  much  increased,  and  that  one  of  them  was 
a  member  of  Congress,  and  another  a  Governor  of  the 
Ohio  Territory. 

(i.)  John,  the  eldest  of  the  three  brothers,  was  a 
weaver.  He  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Thomas  Walms- 
ley,  about  1720,  and  settled  on  property  since  occupied  bjr 
Joshua  Worthington,  in  the  northern  end  of  Byberry.  He 
was  an  active  member  of  Byberry  Meeting,  and  was  much, 
respected.  His  wife  died  4th  mo.  i8th,  1754,  and  he  died 
I  St  mo.  14th,  1777,  aged  80  years.  Children:  Elizabeth,. 
Mary,  Thomas,  Hannah,  John,  William,  Isaac,  Josephs 
Martha,  Benjamin,  and  Esther. 

(i.)  John  and  Mary  Worthington^ s  Children. 

(2.)  Elizabeth,  born  ist  mo.  15th,  1721,  married! 
Joseph  Tomlinson,  in  1740.  Children:  Rebecca,  Jolin, 
Thomas,  Joseph,  Francis,  Mary,  and  Benjamin. 

(3.)   Mary,  born  12th  mo.  9th,  1723-4;  died  single. 

(4.)  Thomas,  born  2d  mo.  2d,  1726,  married  Hannah 
Pritchet,  and  settled  at  Churchville,  Southampton,  Bucks- 
County.  He  died  6th  mo.  4th,  1798.  Children:  Joseph,^ 
Isaac,  John,  Thomas,  Amos,  Nathan,  Benjamin,  William,, 
Rebecca,  and  one  daughter. 

(5.)   Hannah,  born  12th  mo.  7th,  1727-8. 


380  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(6.)  John,  born  2d  mo.  17th,  1730;  dkd  6th  mo.  20th, 

1744. 

(7.)  William^  born  7th  mo.  20th,  1732,  married 
Esther  Homer,  and  settled  near  the  forks  of  Neshaminy, 
Bucks  County.  Children:  Mary,  William,  Jesse,  John, 
Esther,  Benjamin,  and  Hiram. 

(8.)  Isaac,  born  6th  mo.  13th,  1735,  married  Martha, 
daughter  of  John  Carver,  of  Buckingham.  They  settled 
near  West  Chester  in  1783,  and  continued  to  reside  there 
until  his  death,  in  1800.  Children :  Mary,  William,  John, 
Amos,  Elizabeth,  Eber,  and  Joseph. 

(9.)  Joseph,  born  6th  mo.  12th,  1737,  married,  first, 
Esther  Carver,  in  1767,  and  settled  in  Warwick,  Bucks 
County.  Children:  Joseph,  who  went  to  Virginia;  and 
John,  who  went  to  Ohio.  After  Esther's  death,  he  mar- 
ried Sarah  Malone.  Children :  Abner  and  Sarah.  After 
Sarah's  death,  he  married  Esther  Kimble.  Children: 
Anthony,  William,  Joel,  Elisha,  Amy,  Jesse,  and  Isaac. 

(10.)  Martha,  born  ist  mo.  19th,  1740. 

(11.)  Benjamin^  born  12th  mo.  19th,  1742-3,  mar- 
ried Sarah,  daughter  of  Patrick  Malone,  and  settled  in 
Byberry.  Children :  Asa,  John,  James,  Benjamin, 
Hannah,  Mahlon,  Joshua,  Elizabeth,  Enos,  and  Martha. 

(12.)  Esther,  born  12th  mo.  2d,  1749-50. 

(7.)  William  and  Esther  Worthington's  Children. 

(13.)  Mary,  married  Benjamin  Smith.  Children: 
Esther,  who  married  Jonathan  Atkinson ;  and  Mary,  who 
married  Henry  Woodman. 

(14.)  William,  married,  first,  Spencer.  Chil- 
dren :    William,  Spencer,  Asenath,  and  Margaret.     He 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  38 1 

married,  second,  Mary  Carver,  and  had  one  son,  John  C.^ 
who  married  Mary,  daughter  of  WilHam  Yonker. 

(15.)  Jesse,  married  Martha  Walton.  Children: 
Jacob,  William,  Mary,  Jesse,  Chalkley,  and  Martha. 

(16.)   Esther,  married  a  Spencer. 

(17.)  Benjamin,  married  Mary  Welding.  Children: 
Esther,  who  married  Jonathan  K.  Bonham;  Amasa,  who 
married  Amy  Spencer;  and  Benjamin,  who  married  Pa- 
tience Heston. 

(18.)  Hiram,  married  Agnes  Walton.  Children: 
Hiram,  Susan,  and  Sarah. 

(8.)  Isaac  and  Martha  Worthington's  Children. 

(19.)  Mary,  married  Francis  Tomlinson.  Children: 
Tacy,  who  married  John  Roberts ;  and  Martha,  who  mar- 
ried   Twining. 

(20.)  William,  married  Amy  Underwood.  Children: 
Martha,  who  married  William  Given ;  John,  who  married 
Phebe  Moore,  and  had  children,  William,  Mary,  Charles^ 
Phebe,  and  Oliver;  Eber,  who  married  and  resided  in 
Philadelphia;  and  Charlotte,  who  married  George  W. 
Norris,  and  moved  West. 

(21.)  John,  was  a  physician.  He  married  Elizabeth 
Comly.  Children:  Lydia;  Rachel,  who  married  Amos 
Wilson,  of  Philadelphia;  Robert;  Jonathan;  and  Mary, 
who  married  Samuel  Williams,  of  Philadelphia. 

{22.)  Amos,  born  9th  mo.  2d,  1773,  married  Jane 
Taylor.  Children :  Isaac,  who  married  Rebecca  Newlin, 
and  had  children,  John  S.,  William  N.,  and  Harriet;  John 
Taylor,  who  married  Rachel  Watson,  and  had  one  son, 
Wilmer;  Dr.  Wilmer,  who  married  Elizabeth  Hemphill, 


:382  THE  HISTORY  OF 

and  had  children,  WilHam  H.,  Ann  Jane,  Amos  Edward, 
Emily  E.,  Antoinette  B.,  Malinda  M.,  Kate  D.,  and 
Caspar  W. ;  Carver,  who  married  Ruth  Reed,  and  had 
children,  Mary,  Jane,  Elizabeth,  Henrietta  M.,  and  Antoi- 
nette B. ;  Malinda,  who  married  John  Marshall,  and  had 
children,  Amos  W.,  Thomas  W.,  and  Sarah  Jane;  Amos, 
'Who  died  young ;  and  Lewis,  who  married  Caroline  Wil- 
•son,  and  had  children,  David  W.,  Amos  E.,  and  Jane  T. 
Amos  died  ist  mo.  3d,  1834,  aged  61. 

((23.)  Elizabeth,  married,  first,  Jesse  Roberts; 
second,  Thomas  Temple,  but  left  no  children. 

(24.)  Eber^  married  Lucy  Patton.  Children:  Emily, 
who  married  William  Siter,  and  had  children,  Wilmer 
W.,  Lucy  W.,  John,  Adam  T.,  Eber  W.,  Mary  A.,  Har- 
riet S.,  William,  Emily,  and  Malinda;  Harriet,  who  mar- 
ried Jesse  Conard,  and  had  children,  Eber  W.,  Sarah  Ann, 
and  Caroline;  Francina,  who  married  Daniel  Buckwalter, 
and  had  children,  Isaac  B.,  William  Siter,  Eber  W.,  and 
Francina. 

(25.)  Joseph,,  married  Emeline  Evans,  of  Norristown. 
Children :  Sarah,  who  married  Robert  Chalfant,  and  had 
children,  Emily  S.,  William  S.,  Lucy  W.,  Mary  Ann, 
Harriet  S.,  Eliza  R.,  Margaret  C,  and  JefTerson  W. ; 
Jefferson,  who  married  Ann  Hernan,  and  had  five  chil- 
dren, Mary  Ann,  Charles  M.,  Emily  M.,  Rachel  K.,  and 
William;  Evans;  Adaline;  Eliza;  and  Joseph. 

(9.)  Joseph  and  Sarah  Worthington's  Children. 

(26.)    Aener,    married    Abigail    Walton.     Children: 
Eber;  Joseph;  and  Sarah,  who  married  Ezra  Walmsley. 
(27.)  Sarah^  married  John  Tomlinson. 


BYEERRY  AND  MORELAND.  383 

(9.)  Joseph  and  Esther  Worthington's  Children. 

(28.)  Anthony,,  married  Deborah  Walton.  Children: 
Joel,  Anthony,  Robert,  Esther,  and  Ann. 

(29.)  Joel,  married  Agnes  Walton.  Children:  Abner, 
John,  and  two  daughters. 

(30.)  Amy,  married  Evan  Thomas,  and  had  two 
daughters,  one  of  whom  married  Eleazer  Doan,  and  the 
other  William  Kirk. 

(11.)  Benjamin  and  Sarah  Worthington's  Children. 

(31.)  Asa,  married  Rebecca  Subers.  Children:  Amos 
S.,  Adin,  Ann,  Chalkley,  Asa,  and  Rebecca. 

(32.)  John,  married  Sarah  Walton.  Children: 
Edward,  who  married  Susan  Singley ;  George,  who  mar- 
ried Harriet  Comly ;  Melvina,  who  married  Thomas  Car- 
ter; Benjamin;  Asenath;  and  Walton. 

(.33-)  James,  married  Ann  Maclay,  and  had  one  son, 
Franklin. 

(34.)  Benjamin,  married  Ann  Walton.  Children: 
Amanda,  Rebecca,  Alfred,  Abner,  and  Mary. 

(35.)  Mahlon,  married  Matilda  Edwards.  Children: 
Charles,  Benjamin,  and  others. 

(36.)  Hannapi,  married  Jonathan  Walton,  and  had 
several  children. 

(37.)  Joshua,  married  Mary,  daughter  of  John  Tom- 
linson,  and  lived  on  the  homestead  in  Byberry.  Children : 
John,  Spencer,  Comly. 

iZ'^.)  Ends,  married  Sarah  Heaton.  Children: 
Thomas,  Benjamin,  Joshua,  and  one  daughter. 

(39.)  Martha,  married  John  Tomlinson. 


384  THE  HISTORY  OF 

THE  TOMLINSON  FAMILY.* 

The  earliest  account  of  this  family  in  Byberry  is  the 
record  of  the  marriage  of  Thomas  Tomlinson^^  and  Joan, 
daughter  of  Henry  Walmsley,  in  17 19.  They  first  settled 
on  a  farm  back  of  Edge  Hill,  but  afterwards  sold  the 
property  and  purchased  a  large  farm  in  Bensalem,  where 
he  resided  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  died  in  1764, 
and  his  widow  Joan  in  1772.  Children:  Henry,  Eliza- 
beth, Joseph,  Thomas,  Francis,  Mary,  and  Rebecca. 

(i.)  Thomas  and  Joan  Tomlinson's  Children. 

(2.)  Henry,  born  nth  mo.  i6th,  1720,  married 
Jemima  Bolton,  in  1753.  At  the  death  of  his  father,  who 
died  intestate,  he  being  the  eldest  son  secured  all  the  real 
estate,  thus  leaving  the  rest  of  the  children  poor.  He  was 
a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  frequently  made  plows,  grain- 
cradles,  etc.  He  died  in  1800  much  respected  by  his  con- 
temporaries. Jemima  died  in  1802.  Children:  Sarah, 
Jemima,  and  Jesse.®^ 

(3.)  Joseph,  born  loth  mo.  T3th,  1724,  married  Eliza- 
beth, daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Worthington,  in  1740. 
Children :  Rebecca,  John  Thomas,  Joseph,  Francis,  Mary, 

*  The  account  of  this  family  was  furnished  by  Watson  Comly  of 
Byberry. 

"Thomas  Tomlinson's  father  fought  against  Charles  I  in  Eng- 
land and  was  one  of  the  officers  who  conducted  him  to  the  scaffold. 

"Henry  Tomlinson  lived  in  Bensalem  and  was  a  farmer,  as  well 
as  a  carpenter.  In  politics  he  was  a  Tory  and  says  of  a  visitor  to 
Byberry  Meeting  that  he  spoke  well,  nothwithstanding  the  fact  that 
he  was  a  Whig.  For  about  sixty  years  previous  to  his  death  he 
made  memorandums  of  important  occurrences.  A  portion  of  this 
diary  relating  to  the  Revolutionary  War,  has  been  inserted  in  this 
work. 


EYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  385 

and  Benjamin.  Elizabeth  died  in  1761,  and  Joseph  mar- 
ried Peggy  McCann.  The  union  being  an  unhappy  one, 
they  finally  parted.  Joseph  died  in  1793.  Children: 
Keziah,  Benjamin,  Naomi,  Phebe  Ann,  and  Issachar. 
Of  these,  Benjamin  married  Betsy  Carlisle,  and  moved  to 
Delaware  County. 

(2.)  Henry  and  Jemima  Tomlinson's  Children. 

(4.)   Sarah  and  Jemima  died  single. 

(5.)  Jesse^  born  3d  mo.  ist,  1766,  married  Sarah, 
daughter  of  Jonathan  Wilson,  in  1794,  and  settled  on  the 
homestead  in  Bensalem.  He  was  a  man  of  great  physical 
endurance  and  was  much  respected.  He  died  loth  mo. 
27th,  1 82 1.     Children:   Jesse,  Rhoda,  and  Charles. 

(3.)  Joseph  and  Elisabeth  Tomlinson's  Children. 

(6.)  Rebecca,  born  3d  mo.  2d,  1745,  married  Andrew 
Singley,  of  White  Sheet  Bay,  on  the  Delaware  River. 
Andrew  started  a  lumber  yard,  and  although  unac- 
quainted with  figures,  was  very  successful  in  his  business, 
and  amassed  a  considerable  estate.  Rebecca  died  in  1791. 
Children :  Elizabeth,  Catharine,  Mary,  John,  Joseph,  An- 
drew, Rebecca,  Phebe,  and  Jemima. 

(7.)  John,  born  ist  mo.  26th,  1748,  married  Phebe, 
daughter  of  Patrick  Malone,  •  in  1773.  Several  years 
afterwards  he  purchased  a  farm  of  Amos  Simpson,  near 
Bustleton,  where  he  resided  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He 
was  a  very  quiet  man,  and  by  industry  and  good  manage- 
ment acquired  a  large  estate.  Their  children :  William, 
25 


3^6  THE  HISTORY  OF 

John,  Sarah,  Elizabeth,  Benjamin,  James,  Mary,  and 
Thomas. 

(8.)  Thomas,  born  2d  mo.  21st,  1747,  married  Phebe, 
daughter  of  Isaac  Carver,  in  1775.  They  lived  for  forty 
years  on  a  farm  back  of  Smithfield,  which  belonged  to 
Silas  Walmsley,  but  they  never  accumulated  much  prop- 
erty. Their  children:  Elizabeth,  Phebe,  Martha,  Isabel, 
Joseph,  John,  Amos,  Isaac,  Francis,  Thomas,  and  Silas. 

(9. )v.JosEPH^.married -Mary,  widow  of  Benjamin  Tay- 
lor, and  daughter  of  Isaac  Carver.  He  died  in  1792, 
leaving  no  issue. 

(10.)  Francis,  born  8th  mo.  8th,  1753,  lived  near  the 
Forks  of  Neshaminy.  He  married,  and  had  children, — 
Tacy,  who  married  John  Roberts,  and  Elizabeth,  who 
married  William  Tomlinson. 

(11.)  Mary,  born  6th  mo.  22d,  1755,  married  James 
Malone,  and  settled  near  West  Chester. 

( 12.)  Benjamin,  born  4th  mo.  25th,  1758,  died  3d  mo. 
22d,  1775. 

Andrew  and  (6)  Rebecca  Singley's  Children. 

(13.)  Elizabeth,  married  Daniel  Osmond.  Children: 
Rebecca,  who  married  John  Osmond ;  Mary,  who  married 
Daniel  Stevenson;  and  Sarah,  who  married  Elisha  New- 
bold. 

(14.)  Catharine,  ma;rried  John  Hill,  and  lived  near 
the  Red  Lion.    They  had  one  daughter. 

(15.)  Mary,  married  Abraham  Vansant.  Children: 
John  and  Alonzo. 

(16.)  John,  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  William  Wal- 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  387 

ton  (Jersey  Billy).  They  had  one  child,  Hannah,  who 
married  John  Lippincott. 

(17.)  Joseph^  married  Esther,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Knight.     They  had  two  daughters. 

(18.)  Andrew^  married  Mary,  daughter  of  John  Ed- 
wards. They  had  children:  Amos,  Ellen,  Susan,  Ed- 
ward, Joseph,  Andrew,  Mary,  and  Alice. 

(19.)  Rebecca^  married  Joseph  Rees.  Children:  Wil- 
liam, Mary,  Phebe,  John,  Catharine,  Charles,  and  George. 

(20.)  Phebe,  married,  first,  Robert  Ervin,  and  had 
two  sons,  Andrew  and  William.  She  married,  second, 
John  Price,  and  had  one  daughter. 

(21.)  Jemima,  married  Moses  Davis.  Children:  Wil- 
liam, and  others. 

(7.)  John  and  Phebe  Tomlinson's  Children. 

(22.)  William,  married  Martha,  daughter  of  Benja- 
min Taylor  and  granddaughter  of  Isaac  Carver,  and  set- 
tled in  Byberry.  They  had  children :  Mary,  Aaron,  John, 
James,  Silas,  Benjamin,  Phebe,  William,  and  Isaac. 

(23.)  John,  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Joseph 
Worthington.  Children :  William,  Mary,  Sarah,  Joseph, 
and  Jason.    John  died  ist  mo.  21st,  1841. 

(24.)   Sarah  and  Elizabeth  died  single. 

(25.)  Benjamin,  married  Asenath,  daughter  of 
Joseph  Walton,  but  had  no  children. 

(26.)  James,  married  Tacy,  daughter  of  James  Car- 
ter. 

{2y.)  Mary,  married  Joshua  Worthington,  and  settled 
on  the  old  Worthington  homestead,  in  Byberry.  ChJl- 
dren:  John,  Comly,  and  Spencer. 


388  THE  HISTORY  OF 

(28.)  Thomas^  married  Ann,  daughter  of  Isaac  Wal- 
ton. They  have  children :  Watson,  Spencer,  John  Isaac, 
and  Lydia  Ann. 

(8.)  Thomas  and  Phehe  Tomlinson's  Children, 

(29.)  Elizabeth,  married  Benjamin  Field.  Children: 
Robert,  Phebe,  Thomas,  Tomlinson,  Isaac,  Mary,  Benja- 
min, and  James. 

(30.)  Phebe,  married  James  Carter.  Children:  Mor- 
decai,  Tacy,  Emily,  Stephen,  Thomas,  Mary,  James,  and 
William. 

(31.)  Joseph,  married  Elizabeth  Twining.  Children: 
James,  Caroline,  Hannah,  Thomas,  and  Joseph. 

(32.)   Isabella,  died  single. 

(33.)  Thomas,  married  Rebecca  Twining.  Children: 
Elizabeth,  Emmor,  Mordecai,  Abner,  Hannah,  Phebe, 
Thomas,  James,  and  Rebecca. 

(34.)  Isaac,  married  Mary  Dewees.  Children: 
Samuel,  Aaron,  Rebecca,  Carver,  Susannah,  Comly, 
Chalkley,  Thomas,  and  Sarah. 

(35.)  John,  married  Martha  Worthington.  Chil- 
dren :  Ezra,  Hannah,  Wilmer,  Francis,  and  Stephen.  He 
died  4th  mo.  5th,  1846. 

(36.)  Francis,  married  Deborah  Twining.  Children: 
Edward,  Hannah,  Phebe,  Deborah,  and  Francis.  He  died 
5th  mo.  2d,  1835. 

(37.)  Martha,  married  John  Praul.  Children:  Isaac, 
Thomas,  William,  Francis,  Elias,  and  Philip. 

(38.)  Amos,  married  Caroline  Praul.    Children:   Re- 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  389 

becca,  Charles,  Francis,  Edward,  and  Amanda.    He  died 
ist  mo.  31st,  1841. 

(39.)  Silas,  unmarried. 

THE  SHEARER  FAMILY.'^ 

Jacob  Shearer  emigrated  to  America  from  Berne, 
Switzerland.  He  died  prior  to  the  Revolution,  and  left 
seven  children:  Jacob,  known  as  Jacob  Shearer,  Si*., 
Jonathan,  Henry,  William,  Catharine,  Mary,  and  Eliza- 
beth. 

Jacob  Shearer,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Moreland,  in  the  year 
1755.  At  the  commencement  of  the  Revolution  he  en- 
tered the  Continental  Army  as  a  private,  but  was  after- 
wards made  a  captain,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  in  several  minor  engage- 
ments, also  in  the  Battle  of  Germantown.  Throughout 
the  whole  struggle,  he  steadily  relied  on  the  success  of  the 
American  Army,  even  amid  its  most  discouraging  re- 
verses, and  his  sword,  now  in  the  possession  of  his  grand- 
son, Jacob  Shearer,  bears  this  motto  on  its  blade,  "The 
Got  whome  we  serve"  is  able  to  deliver  us."  During  the 
war  he  casually  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Lafayette,  by 
whom  he  was  pleasantly  remembered  on  the  return  of 
"the  nation's  guest"  to  this  country  in  1824.  He  was 
accustomed  to  relate  to  his  children  many  anecdotes  in 
connection  with  this  acquaintance.  Jacob  Shearer  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Pennsylvania  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, in  1805,  and  continued  in  that  office  until  181 1. 
he  served  until  181 7.  He  held  several  other  offices,  among 

*  I  am  indebted  to  Charles  S.  Keyser,  Esq.,  of  Philadelphia,  for  the 
account  of  this  family. 


390  THE  HISTORY  OF 

In  1814  he  was  elected  to  the  Pennsylvania  Senate,  where 
which  was  that  of  County  Commissioner.  He  resided 
during  the  greater  part  of  his  life  on  his  farm  above  Bus- 
tleton,  where  he  died  in  1837,  aged  82  years.^^ 

He  was  three  times  married.  His  first  wife  was  Mary, 
daughter  of  Jeremiah  Northrop;  she  died  soon  after  her 
marriage  without  issue.  He  then  married  her  sister, 
Sarah  Northrop,  by  whom  he  had  three  children,  Eliza- 
beth, John,  and  Jacob.  His  third  wife  was  Rachel, 
daughter  of  John  de  Nyce,  by  whom  he  had  three  chil- 
dren, Jane,  Susan,  and  Ann. 

Elizabeth^  married  Jesse  Randall,  and  died  soon  after 
her  marriage,  leaving  one  child,  Comly  Randall,  still  liv- 
ing. 

John,  married  Mary  Jane  Wright,  of  Philadelphia, 
and  emigrated  to  Illinois,  where  he  now  resides.  Chil- 
dren: Jacob,  deceased;  John,  Edward,  Sarah,  deceased; 
Mary,  deceased ;  and  Ann,  deceased. 

Jonathan,  the  second  son,  resided  also  in  Moreland, 
and  left  children :  Sarah,  Elizabeth,  Rebecca,  Mary  Ann, 
Catharine,  Amanda,  and  Emeline. 

Henry,  left  three  daughters  and  one  son,  Joseph,  who 
emigrated  with  John  Shearer  to  Illinois,  and  died  at  Kas- 
kaskia. 

William,  married  Eliza  Maris,  niece  of  Rachel  de 
Nyce,  and  left  five  children :  Caroline,  deceased ;  Anna, 
Catharine,  deceased;   William,  deceased;  and  Eliza. 

Catpiarine,  died  unmarried. 

Mary,  married  Scates,  and  had  three  children: 

"Jacob  Shearer's  farm  is  now  owned  by  Jamison  Lett. 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  39 1 

Alexander,  Sarah,  deceased;  and  the  third,  who  died 
young. 

Elizabeth,  married Schock,  and  had  four  chil- 
dren. 

Jacob, Shearer,  Jr.,  inherited  the  quaHties  of  his 
father,  and  became  prominent  early  in  life  as  a  politician. 
Few  things  indeed  transpired  in  the  townships  without 
being  more  or  less  influenced  by  him.  After  serving  in 
all  the  township  offices,  such  as  supervisor,  assessor, 
school  director,  etc.,  he  was  elected  to  the  Pennsylvania 
Legislature,  where  he  acquired  considerable  reputation 
for  his  sound  judgment.  On  the  rise  of  the  Native  Ameri- 
can party  he  was  by  them  nominated  as  a  candidate  for 
Congress,  but  was  defeated  by  Charles  J.  Ingersoll.  After 
this  he  withdrew  from  the  active  field  of  politics.  He 
married  Margaret  Pitman,  of  the  Baldwin  family,  and 
settled  on  the  old  homestead  in  Moreland,  where  he  spent 
his  whole  life.  He  died  in  1854,  leaving  five  children; 
Josephine,  Martha,  Susan,  Jacob,  and  Margaret. 

Jane,  married  Jesse  Dungan,  and  resided  in  Bustleton. 
She  had  children:  Joseph,  Jacob  S.,  Caroline,  deceased; 
Alfred;  Charles,  deceased;  and  Edward,  deceased. 

Susan,  married  Joseph  Keyser,  of  the  Germantown 
family.  She  has  children:  Charles  S.,  William  F.,  Caro- 
line, Martha,  Jane,  deceased,  and  Joseph,  deceased. 

Ann,  married  John  Vansant.  She  has  children :  Ann, 
deceased,  Edward,  Joseph,  William  Henry,  Robert,  and 
John. 


392  THE  HISTORY  OF 

CONCLUSION. 

The  history  of  Byberry  and  Moreland  is  now  com- 
pleted. It  would  be  folly  for  us  to  expect  it  to  be  free 
from  errors,  for  it  has  been  obtained  almost  entirely  from 
old  manuscripts,  some  of  which  were  not  easily  decipher- 
ed ;  yet  nothing  has  been  inserted  unless  there  was  a  strong 
probability  of  its  truth ;  and  we  think  it  will  be  found  as 
reliable  as  any  similar  production  heretofore  published. 

The  preparation  of  this  history  was  commenced  many 
months  since,  but  the  difficulties  attending  its  compilation 
were  so  great  that  we  often  despaired  of  ever  completing 
it. 

The  cares  and  perplexities  of  business  were  so  mani- 
fold, that  nothing  but  an  ardent  attachment  to  our  native 
place,  its  people,  and  its  institutions,  could  have  induced 
us  to  deny  ourselves  the  many  hours  of  needed  recreation 
and  even  of  sleep  that  were  necessary  to  work  the  matter 
into  its  present  condition.  But  this  has  been  done;  and 
now  that  the  toil  is  over,  we  can  revert  with  satisfaction 
to  the  many  pleasant  hours  which  we  have  thus  spent  in 
looking  over  the  records  of  bygone  times,  and  tracing  the 
pages  written  by  hands  long  since  mingled  with  the  dust. 
From  these  we  have  learned  some  of  the  many  difficulties 
attending  the  early  settlement,  and  can  picture  to  our- 
selves the  destitute  condition  of  those  primitive  settlers 
who  left  comfortable  homes  in  Old  England  and  came 
over  here  to  reclaim  the  uncultivated  wilds  of  America. 
We  have  traced  their  history  as  generation  succeeded 
generation,  carefully  noting  the  improvements  which  from 
time  to  time  were  introduced,  the  rise  and  progress  of  the 


BYBERRY  AND  MORELAND.  393 

religious  institutions,  and  the  introduction  of  schools  and 
societies  for  the  diffusion  of  learning, — ^that  talisman 
which  so  effectually  dispels  the  dark  and  dangerous  clouds 
of  error  and  superstition.  We  have  viewed  them  almost 
in  a  state  of  semi-barbarism,  living  the  lives  of  the  sav- 
ages around  them,  and  we  have  watched  them  emerging 
from  this  condition  as  each  succeeding  generation  became 
better  and  better  acquainted  with  the  teachings  of  science 
and  reason,  until  they  now  stand  confessedly  in  the  first 
ranks  of  an  enlightened  people,  with  institutions  in  their 
midst,  which,  we  trust,  will  forever  dispel  all  dreams  of 
witchcraft  and  similar  follies,  and  leave  the  human  mind 
to  be  guided  by  the  light  of  truth  and  religion.  It  has 
been  under  a  government — the  best  the  world  ever  saw — 
that  our  forefathers  of  Byberry  and  Moreland  have  been 
so  prosperous  and  happy;  and  that  that  government  may 
continue  in  all  its  glory  and  efficiency,  so  that  the  sons 
and  daughters  of  these  lovely  districts  may,  for  all  time 
to  come,  bask  in  the  sunshine  of  peace  and  prosperity, 
under  the  benign  influence  of  this  republic,  is  the  earnest 
wish  of  the  author. 


INDEX. 


Abington,  229,  255. 
Adams,  Benjamin.  221. 

John,  62,  240. 

Rebecca,  160. 
Adelphian  Society,  173. 
Agriculture,  89,  00,  148-155. 
Albertson,  39. 

Alcoholic  Drinks,  104,  205,  210. 
All  Saints'  Church,  43,  103,  109,  iii,  209,  237. 
Amos  Knight's  Corner,  220. 
Amos,  Ann,  62. 

Philip,  62. 
Animals,  28,  48.  49,  53,  78,  79,  206,  211,  222 
Anti-Slavery  Society,  199. 
Arnold,  Mrs.  Thomas  Franklin,  120. 
Ashton,  Isaac,  64. 
Assessments,  144-146. 
Astrology,  51. 
Atkinson,  Benjamin,  152. 

Watson,  106,  121,  171. 
Authors,  175,  236,  277.  296,  297. 
Babylon.  219. 

Bailey,  Rev.  Mahlon,   120. 
Balloon,  209. 
Banes,  Thomas,  203. 
Baptists,  -'I3,  III,  119,  226,  227. 
Barns.  196. 
Barton,  Charles,  120. 

Elizabeth.  210. 
Battles.  68. 
Beale,  William,   45. 
Bedford,  Gunning,  74. 
Benezet,  55.  66.  251. 
Benjamin  Rush  School,  136. 
Benksen,  Andrew,  21. 
Bensalem,  76. 
Biddle,  John,  257. 
Big  Woman,  186,   187,   188. 
Biles,  William,  231,  232. 
Billet,  70. 
Bills  of  Credit,  73. 
Birkman.  George.  159. 
Births,  189.  -  — 


39^  INDEX. 

Black,  John,  210. 
Black  Lake,  219. 
Blackford,  John,  50. 
Boileau,  192. 
Bolton,  254-263. 

Abel,  256,  262. 

Aquilla,  262. 

Edward,  255. 

Elizabeth,  255,  258. 

Everard,  45,  254,  255,  258,  262. 

Hannah,  256. 

Isaac,  257,"  259,  260,  261,  358. 

Jemima,  259. 

Jesse,  261. 

Joseph,  259,  260. 

Lydia,  257. 

Margaret,  259,  261. 

Martha,  258. 

Mary,  256,  258,  260. 

Priscilla,  258. 

Rachel,  259,  261,  262. 

Rebecca,  258,  259. 

Robert,  254. 

Samuel,  256,  259,  261. 

Sarah,  112,  259,  261. 

Thomas,  261, 

William,  256,  260. 
Bonner,  Charles,  119. 

James,  242. 
Book  of  Discipline,  102. 
Bore,  Lansey,  21. 
Borman,  Mary,  36. 
Boucher,  69. 
Bragg,  Roger,  49. 
Breck,  Lucy,  177. 
Brickyards,  60. 
Bristol,  76. 

Bristol  Turnpike,  156. 
British,  68. 
Brock,  John,  43,  45. 
Brockdon,  Richard,  49. 
Brooks,  Rev.  John,  120. 
Broom  Corn,  152. 
Brous,  Henry,  80. 
Brown,  Benjamin,  117. 
Jackson,   158. 
James,  1 16. 

Rachel,  117.  -;■--" 

Buck  Hotel,  70.  -" 

Buck,  W.  J.,  10,  100. 


INDEX.  397 


Buckwheat,  149,  i53- 

Buckman,  Joshua,  140. 

Budd,  Thomas,  28. 

Bunting,  James,   123,   127. 

Burial  Places,  37,  3^,  39,  44,  66,  67,  108,  164-171- 

Burlington,  45. 

Burroughs,  Francis,   94. 

Buskirk,  Jacob,  59. 

Bustleton,  68,  78. 

Bustleton  and  Somerton  Turnpike  Road,  156. 

Buzby,  Elizabeth,  37.  '    .     ; 

Byberry  and  Andalusia  Turnpike,   157. 

Byberry  and  Bensalem  Turnpike  Road,  156. 

Byberry  Creek,  214. 

Byberry  Cross-Roads,  57,  59,  62,  78,  204,  219. 

Byberry  Institute,  201. 

Byberry  Literary  Society,  200. 

Byberry  Meeting,  102- Hi,  Frontispiece. 

Byberry,  Name,    19.  > 

Byberry  Point,  219. 

Byberry  School,   138-144. 

Byberry  Store,  89,  224. 

Cabinet,  172. 

Cadwalader,  Benjamin,  300. 

Cyrus,  301. 

Phebe,  300. 

Rachel,  300. 

Ruth,  114. 
Cameron,  William,   123,  127. 
Carlisle,  John,  301. 
Carter,  James,  180,  247,  248. 
Carter's  Mill,  180,  220. 
Carver,  55,  263-269. 

Homestead,  265. 

Ann,  265. 

Ascenath,   267. 

Eli,  268. 

Elizabeth,  268. 

George,  26S. 

Hannah,  267. 

Isaac,  124,  265. 

Isabel,  267. 

Jacob,  263,  269. 

James,  80,  264. 

Jane,  268. 

John,  20,  25,  31,  43,  44,  45,  46,  54,  57,  80,  177,  193,  263,  264, 
265,  267,  268,  339. 

Joseph,  25,  46,  263,  267,  268,  269. 

Mahlon,  10,  20,  78,  85,  i8o,  263,  266. 

Martha,  266,  I'^'j. 


398  INDEX. 


Mary,  264,  266,  267,  268. 

Nanny,  266. 

Phebe,  266. 

Priscilla,  268. 

Rachel,  266,  268,  269. 

Richard,  57,  264,  256. 

Samuel,  46,  265,  268. 

Sarah,  267,  268,  269. 

William,  45,  263,  269. 
Caves,  27,  29,  90. 

Cemeteries,  :si,  38,  39.  44,  66,  67,  108,  164-171. 
Chalkley,  Thomas,  56. 
Chamberlin,  76. 
•'Chapel,"  117,  119. 
Cholera,  178. 
Churches,   102-121. 
Citizens,  174. 
Claypoole.  James,  94. 
Clayton,  Hannah,   127. 

Sallie,  117. 
Clothing,  29,  81,  104,  197. 
Coleman,  Elizabeth,  116. 
Collectors,  69. 
Collett,  Crispin,  58. 

Richard,  25,  42,  43. 
Comfort,  David,  106,  114,  199. 

James,  106. 

Thornton,  106. 
Comly,  55,  60,  91,  270-301. 

Abigail,  286,  289. 

Abraham,  286. 

Agnes,  281,  283,  286,  289,  291,  294. 

Benjamin,  290. 

Charles,  5,  152,  178. 

Charlotte,  283. 

Clement.  283. 

David,  293. 

Elizabeth,  278,  279,  283,  290. 

Emmor,  115,  130. 

Esquire.   68. 

Ethan,  299. 

Ezra,  282,  299. 

Franklin.  47,  80,  280. 

Gaynor,  287. 

Grace,  281,  300. 

Hannah,  279,  283,  287. 

Henry,  45,  47,  50,  270,  271,  2^z,  274,  275,  2'JT,  278,  286. 

Isaac,  5,  9,  171,  176,  196,  213. 

Jacob,  278.  286,  292. 

James,  280,  292,  293. 


INDEX. 


399 


Jane,  281,  283. 

Jesse,  278,  287. 

John,  63,  105,  no,  114,  122,  123,  140,  161,  171,  176,  179,  282 
285,  286,  287,  293,  295,  296,  297. 

Jonathan,  50,  276.  2.^],  278,  293. 

Joseph,  154,  276,  278,  285,  288,  289,  297. 

Joshua,  276,  278,  279. 

Margaret,  279. 

Martha,  281,  291,  295. 

Mary,  113,  274,  275,  276,  2.']^,  279,  281,  287. 

Nathan,  282. 

Phebe,  276,  2'j'j,  279. 

Rachel,  276,  277. 

Rebecca,  277,  279,  283. 

Richard,  290. 

Robert,  280,  281,  282,  285. 

Samuel,  279,  285,  287. 

Sarah,  130,  277,  283,  290. 

Susan,  283. 

Susanna,  287,  288,  290. 

Thomas,  285,  291. 

Walter,  290. 

Watson,  s,  33,  2^]. 

Willet,  280/ 
Comly's  Mill,  178,  223. 
Conclusion,  292-293. 
Conrad,  Cornelius,  258. 
Continental  Money,  76,  193. 
Cook,  Richard,  119,  120. 
Coonville.  222. 
Cooper,  James,  51,  247,  277. 

James,  Fennimore,  245 
William,  174,  243-247. 
Cope,  Gilbert,  20. 
Corbit.  Henry,  262. 
Cornwell,  Rev.,  120. 
Courtship,  105. 
Cox,  Jane,  191. 
Cox,  Joseph,  'j^. 
Creeks,  194,,  213,  214,  218. 
Cresson's  Corner,  "j^,   135. 
Cresson,  Warder.  116,  176. 
Croasdale,  117,  152. 

Crops,  149,  207.  f 

Cross,  John,  45. 

William,   119. 
Cross-Roads,  57,  ^9,  62,  78.  204,  21Q 
Customs,  S7>,  77-S2,  100,  104,  147 
Davis,  Ellis,  256. 

John,  113,  267. 


400 


INDEX. 


William,  49- 

Gen.  W.  W.  H.,  lo,  54,  63,  227. 

Deaths,  189,  190. 

Decatur,  174,  251-253. 

Delaware  River,  18. 

Devitt,  William,  120. 

Dietz,  120. 

Discovery,  17. 

Disease,  65,  66,  177,  210. 

Distillery,  205. 

Distinguished  Citizens,   174,  226-253. 

Ditches,  33,  49. 

Doctors.  86^  196,  235,  236,  239,  260. 

Dogs,  198. 

Dougherty,  Annie,  85. 

Dover,  75. 

Dress,  29,  81,  104,  197. 

Dudley,  Charles,  119. 

Homestead,  207. 

Wallace,   119. 

William,  119. 
Dufiield,  55,  302-308. 

Homestead,  303. 

Benjamin,  50,  302,  303,  306,  307. 

Catherine,  306,  307. 

Edward,  74,  150,  155,  174,  175,  196,  303,  304,  305,  3o6,  307. 

Elizabeth,  303,  306. 

Hannah,  303. 

James,  303. 

John  Potts,  308. 

Joseph,  302,  303,  306. 

Martha  R.,  307. 

Mary,  303,  306,  308. 

Rebecca,  308. 

Sarah,  303,  307. 

Uz,  306. 
Duncan,  45,  231,  294. 
Dungan,  Jesse,  391. 
Dunkin,  Edmund,  45. 

William,  45,  57. 
Dunk's  Ferry,  60. 
Durham  Company,  94,  250,  251. 
Dutch.  18. 

Dyer,  Charles,  117,  123,  127,  134. 
Earthquakes,  56,  63. 
Eastburn,  John,  121. 
Eckfeldt,  Harry.  119,  120. 

Jacob,  80. 
Education,  49,  50.  64,  65,  121-144. 
Edwards,  Alexander,  64,   192,   195. 


INDEX.  401 


Enoch,  174,  175,  196,  235,  236. 

John,  117. 
Elections,  88. 
Ellis,  Josiah,  25,  31. 

Samuel,  26,  39. 
Ellwood's  Run,  220. 
Emigration,  01,  209. 
English,  Henry,  26,  40,  43»  50>  228. 

Joseph,  229,  271. 

Josiah,  26,  36. 
Erwin,  William,  241. 
Everett,  Ezekiel,  117. 
Fairman,  Thomas,  97. 
Fairs,  83. 

Farming,  89,  90,  I48-I55- 
Fell,  Joshua,  141. 
Fences,  49. 
Fertilizers,  150. 
Fever,  177. 
Fire  Insurance,  212. 
Fires,  70. 
First  Edition,  10. 

First  Settlers,  18,  19,  25,  26,  2'],  29,  48,  99,  144. 
Fisher,  Joseph,  39. 
Fly,  Hessian,  149. 

Russian,  149. 
Folwell,  William,  191. 
Food,  ^T,  28,  80,  84. 
Footprints,  217. 

Forrest,  Walter,  26,  38,  59,  61,  229. 
Fortune-Telling,  51. 
Foster,  43,  192,  231. 
Frankford  Friends'  Meeting,  36. 
Fraternal  Society,  200. 
Free  Society  of  Traders,  28,  92. 
Frost,  208. 

Gallagher,  Colonel,  207,  208. 
Galloway,  Joseph,  ^2,  75,  191,  250,  251. 
Game,  28,  48,  49,  53,  79,  I54,  206,  222. 
Genealogies,  6,  254-391. 
Geology,  213-218. 
Gilbert,  308-317. 

Abigail,  314. 

Abner,  316. 

Benjamin,  61,  ^^,  124,  174,  175,  178,  311,  312,  313,  314,  315, 
316. 

Beulah,  317. 

Caleb.  315. 

David,  317. 

Elizabeth,  315,  316. J? 


402 


INDEX. 


Jesse,  315. 

John,  26,  43..  46,  113.  308,  309,  315- 

Joseph,  46,  48,  58,  167,  309,  310,  311,  314. 

Joshua,  140,  176,  292,  311,  315-317- 

Mary,  113,  127,  3ii»  3i6. 

Phebe,  311,  316. 

Rachel,  314. 

Rebecca,  311,  316. 

Sarah,  311,  314,  315- 

Tacy,  317. 

Thomas,  317. 
Gingerbread  Field,  220. 
Glentworth,  68. 
Godfrey  School,  134-136. 
Gordon,  q6. 
Gordon's  Mill,  181. 
Gorsuch,  25. 
Grant  to  Penn,  21,  22. 
Graveyards,  37-39,  44»  66,  67,  108,  164-171. 
Green  Spring,  40,  46,  97,  98,  233. 
Griffith,  Abraham,  112. 
Grimes,  Mary,  192. 
Griscomb,  David,  126. 
Groome,  Thomas,  26,  43,  45. 
Growden,  zj,  55,  250. 
Guerrilla  Warfare,  74,  75. 
Gun  Factory,  60. 
Gunning,  154. 
Hampton,  Ann,  113. 

Asenath,  9. 
Harding,  Jesse,  118. 

Thomas,  274. 
Harrison,  James,  94. 

John,  98. 

Revitt,  98. 
Hart,  John,  25,  35-39,  43,  164,  226,  227. 

Oliver,  227. 
Hartsville,  74. 
Headstones,  168. 
Heaton,  Nancy,  62. 

Robert,  47,  98,  265. 
Hedges,  49,  154. 
Heller,  Charles,  118. 
Helverson,  Sammy,  203. 

Hepburn,  Elizabeth,  Fanny,  James,  Sarah,  Stacy,  308. 
Hibbs,  Timothy,  160. 

William,  26,  43,  iii,  230. 
Hickey,  Catherine,  192. 


INDEX.  403 


Hicks,  Edward,  no. 

Elias,  no. 

Gilbert,  'jd. 
Hicksites,  106-108. 
Hillborn,  Amos,  114. 

Jane,  130. 

John,  181. 
Hilt,  John,  62. 
Holgate,  John,  190,  191. 
Holme,  John,  28,  46,  98. 

Thomas,  46,  63,  94. 

Map,  Section  of,  19. 
Homer,  Thomas,  192. 

William,  231.  367. 
Hoopes,  Eber,  123. 

Joshua,  171. 
Horses,  153. 
Horsham,  55,  102,  105. 
Hotchkin,  Rev.  S.  F.,  9-1 1,  13,  120,  121. 
Hotels,  57,  62,  69,  70,  ^d,  210. 
Houses,  29,  33,  40,  52,  53,  79»  99,  202-205. 
Howard,  T"^,  160. 
Howell's  Mill,  70. 
Howell,  Arthur,  103. 
Hudson,  17. 
Humphreys,  Jacob,  68. 
Hunt,  John,  no. 

Priscilla,  no. 
Hunting  Grounds,  32. 
Hurricane,  183. 
Hutchings,  Rev.,  120. 
Hybert,  John,  45. 
Implements,  48,  90,  154. 

Indians,  22-27,  3i.  32,  60,  76-78,  94,  167,  211,  212,  312-314. 
Ingraham,  Alfred,  Catharine,  Edward  D.,  Francis,  307. 
Insects,  56,  58. 

Iredell,  Charles,  Grace,  Joseph,  Rachel,  Rebecca,  Robert,  30J 
Jackson,  John,  58. 

Mrs.  Thomas,  120. 

Samuel,  57,  112. 
James,  Abel,  232. 

David,  117,  118,  232. 

George,  45,  230. 

Isaac,  117. 

Thomas,  80. 
Jerden,  Mary,  160. 
Johnson,  43. 
Justice  of  Peace,  64. 
Kaintuck,  220. 
Keach,  Elias,  98. 


404  INDEX, 

Keen,  John,  191. 

Sinixson,  241. 
Keith,  36,  42,  226,  230,  232. 
Keyser,  Joseph,  391. 
Kingstone,  Abel,  45,  229. 
Kirk,  Jacob,  301. 
Kite,  Benjamin,  19,  65,  ^2. 
^ight,  55,  60,  317-336. 

Abel,  192,  324,  325,  331,  336. 

Abigail,  323. 

Abraham,  329,  330. 

Absalom,  329,  331. 

Alexander,  332. 

Allen,  2>2f^^. 

Amos,  330.  331. 

Ann,  102,  325,  327,  329,  334,  335. 

Anna,  334. 

Asa,  324,  330. 

Benjamin,  336. 

Caleb,  330. 

Charles,  335. 

Daniel,  58,  328,  329,  334,  335. 

David,  329,  330. 

Ebenezer,  335. 

Edwin,  335. 

Eliza,  326. 

Elizabeth,  324,  326-328. 

Esther,  325-330. 

Evan,  295,  324,  326,  335. 

George,  326. 

Giles,  25,  27,  31.  35.  39,  43,  SO,  61,  318-320,  322-325. 

Grace,  331,  335- 

Hannah,  327,  332,  335.  336. 

Inglish,  329. 

Isaac,  264,  325,  326. 

Israel,  324,  Z'zs. 

James,  334,  335. 

Jane,  334. 

Jesse,  325,  327. 

John    318,  326,  329,  330,  331,  336. 

Jonathan,  45,  58,  328,  329,  332-334- 

Joseph,  33,  318,  321,  Z2Z,  325.  326,  328,  329. 

Judge,  129. 

Julia,  332. 

Leonard,  32. 

Lydia,  336. 

Margaret,  335. 

Martha,  329. 


INDEX.  405 

Nathan  T.,  326. 

Owen,  332. 

Paul,  334,  336. 

Phebe,  325,  327. 

Phineas,  331. 

Rachel,  325. 

Rebecca,  323,  330. 

Richard,  327. 

Robert,  336. 

Ruth,  332. 

Samuel,  196,  329,  331,  332. 

Sarah,  324,  326,  330,  334,  335. 

Seth,  332. 

Susannah,  323. 

1  acy,  334. 

Thomas,  26,  43,  45,  58,  I44,  325,  327,  329,  330,  333,  336. 

Townsend,  325. 

William,  57,  328. 
Knight's  Corner,  220. 
Knight's  Mill,  220. 
Knightsville,  125,  129,  164,  203,  221. 
Knox,  Abbic,  117. 

Rev.  Charles,  120. 

Thomas,  123,  237. 
Krewson,  50,  68. 
Lacey,  General,  69,  70,  74. 
La  Fayette,  75,  y6. 
Laffert,  Henry,  131. 
Land,  208. 
Langhorne,  74,  76. 

Jeremiah,    93. 
"Lazy  Lane  School,"  134-136. 
Lectures,  171,  172. 
Legislature  of  New  Jersey,  74. 
Lewis,  John,  120,  126. 
Levis,  Levis,  64. 
Library,  56,  161-163,  167,  199. 
Liken,  Hans,  21. 
Limestone,  99. 
Lippincott,  Mary,  no. 
Literary  Record,  200. 
Livezey,  Thomas,  60. 
Lloyd,  Isaac,  263. 
Loomas,  Rev.  Herbert,  120. 
Lovelace,  25. 

Lower  Dublin  Academy,  304. 
Lower  Dublin  Poor  House,   161. 
Lukens,  Abraham,  Agnes,  Lydia,  Nathan,  283. 
Maddox,  Joshua,  64. 
MSail,  .158,  159. 


406  INDEX. 


Mansons,  222. 

Maple  Grove  School,  131. 

Maps,  Roggerveen's,  17. 

Somerton,  60,  219, 

Holme,  63.     Section  of,  19. 

Scull,  63. 
Mardon,  Thomas,  190,  374. 
Marriage,  30,  37,  105,  271,  272. 
Marshall,  John,  249. 

Nathan,  260. 

William,  58. 
Martindale,  337-343- 

Abner,  341. 

Amos,  338-341. 

Ann,  339,  341. 

Charles,  342. 

David,  341. 

Elijah,  343. 

Elizabeth,  342. 

Ellen,  II. 

Esther,  340,  343. 

Frances,  343. 

Hannah,  339-341- 

Isaac,  6,  9,  10,  338. 

Jacob,  340. 

Jane,  341. 

John,  337,  339,  342. 

Jonathan,  338,  342. 

Joseph,  117,  177,  337,  339. 

Lucy  Ann,  342. 

Mahlon,  339. 

Margaret,  340. 

Martha,  339,  342. 

Mary,  338-343- 

Mercy,  342. 

Miles,  338,  340. 

Phineas,  339,  343. 

Rachel,  338,  341,  342. 

Rebecca,  343. 

Robert.  341. 

Samuel,  340,  342. 

Sarah,  338,  340,  341,  343. 

Susannah,  340. 

Strickland,  338,  341. 

Tacy,  341. 

Thomas,  338,  341-343- 

Watson.  II. 

William,  337,  340,  341. 
McCaskey,  J.  W.,  118. 
McDowell,  Susan,  127. 


INDEX.  407 

McFarlan,  James,  117. 
McLane,  Allen,  75. 
Mechanicsville,  127,  224,  225. 

Meeting,  35,  36,  39,  41,  42,  44,  45,  47,  54,  57,  58,  61,  62,  102-111. 
Meeting  House,  35,  36,  44,  47,  50,  58,  59,  103,  107. 
Meeting  House  Ground,  109. 
Members  of  Byberry  Meeting,  109,  no. 
Of  Baptist  Chapel,  119,  120. 
Of  Methodist  Church,  117. 
Of  St.  Andrews  in  the  Field,  120. 
Methodists,  no,  in,  117. 
Middletown,  47. 
Mifflin,  Warner,  104. 
Militia  Training,  207,  208. 
Miller,  John,  74. 

Mills,  48,  50,  61,  63,  66,  100,  178-182,  214,  229. 
Minerals,  215,  216. 
Minktown,  221. 
Mitchell,  Joseph,  50. 
Moon,  Moses,  63. 
Moore,  Ann,  112,  232. 
Mary,  97. 

Nicholas,  26,  35,  40,  46,  50,  92-102,  233-235. 
Rebecca,  97. 
Samuel,  97. 
Samuel  Preston,  227, 
Sarah,  98. 
Stephen  West,  22^. 
Walter,  50,  112. 
Moreland,  26,  35,  46,  50,  92-102,  128. 
Morrell,  Gen.  E.  D.,  205. 
Morris,  James,  37. 
Mowing  Machine,  155. 
Mullikay,  18. 
Murray,  Major,  74. 
Naylor,  R.  D.,  118. 
Negroes,  54,  60,  66,  94,  165,  199. 
Newbold.  Elizabeth,  116. 

Samuel,  m4. 
New  Burial  Place,"  169. 
New  County,  182. 
Newtown,  26. 
Nichols,  William,  26,  38. 
Oath  of  Allegiance,  72. 
Old  Burial  Place,  168,  169. 
Oldmixon.  28,  95. 
Old  Sod,  196. 
Oran,  Fanny,  1x5. 
Qsborn,  Sophronia,  115. 
Osmond,  Daniel,  286. 


4o8 


INDEX. 


Ott,  Andrew,  237. 

Overseers  of  Byberry  Meeting,  45»  229. 

Of  Poor,  160,  161. 
Parry,  Amy,  284. 

David,  258,  281. 

Edward,  83. 

Isaac,  281,  284. 

Joseph,  284. 

Martha,  358. 

Reuben,  80. 

Robert,  284. 

Samuel,  284. 
Patrick  Henry  School,  127. 
Paul,  Samuel,  325. 
Pauper  Burial  Place,  164. 
Paxson,  Jonathan,  326. 
Pear,  John,  49. 

Benny,  205. 
Peart,  Bryan,  369. 

William,  192. 
Penn,  28. 

Penn  County,  182. 
Pennington,  Daniel,  55. 
Penn's  Terms,  33,  34,  ^T. 
Perth,  221. 
Philadelphia,  32. 
Phillips,  Robert,  178. 
Philosophical  Society,  171,  173, 
Phipps,  Thomas,  361. 
Physicians,  86,  196,  235,  236,  239. 
Pike,  Henry,  125. 
Pitman,  Robert,  125. 
Plaster  of  Paris,  150. 
Pleasantville,  127,  221. 
Plumbsock  (See  Cross-Roads). 
Plumsted,  Francis,  94. 

Poor,  38,  54,  55,  59,  73,  164,  190,  191,  206,  208. 
Population,  21,  66. 
Poquessing,  194,  213,  216. 
Porter,  158. 

Margaret,  113. 
Post-Offices,  158,  159. 
Potatoes,  T51. 
Powel,  Thomas,  130. 

William,  130. 
Powel  ton,  130,  222. 
Powers,  Benjamin,  Grace.  Mary,  301. 
Preachers  at  Byberry  Meeting,  57,  103,  105,  no,  in,  297. 

At  the  "Chapel,"  no,  120. 


INDEX.  409 

At  Somerton  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  117-119,  226,  2^1. 
236. 

At  St.  Andrews  in  the  Field,  120. 
Prettyman,  L.,  117. 
Price,  Tommy,  71. 
Property,  66. 
Quarries,  216,  218. 
Quee,  Susan,  160. 
Quit  Rent,  34,  67. 
Ramsdorp,  2t. 
Ramsey,  Rev.  William,  120, 
Randall,  Comly,  291,  292. 

Jesse,  390. 

Jonathan,  291. 

Nathan,  291, 

Nicholas,  291,  292. 

Rachel,  291. 

Thomas,  291. 
Reading,  Thomas,  117. 
Red  Lion  Hotel,  62,  63,  76. 
Reed,  William,  269. 
Religious  Disputes,  42-44. 
References,  5,  6,  9-1 1. 
Remarkable  Occurrences,  183,  208. 
Revolution,  62,  63,  68. 
Rhoads,  Ann,  117. 

Elizabeth,  117. 
Richardson,  Nathaniel,  117. 
Rideout,  Nicholas,  46. 
Ridge's  Mill,  222. 
Ridge,  William,  363. 
Ridgevvay,  Henry,  no. 
Roads,  156,  157. 
Roads,  Jacob,  192. 
Roberts,  Abigail,  131 

Edmund,  256. 

Thomas,  194. 
William,  50. 
Robinson,  Patrick,  96. 
Rocks,  215,  216. 
Rush,  55,'6o,  61. 

Dr.  Benjamin,  174,  239-241. 
James,  228. 

Joh";  25,  42,  43,  227,  228. 
William,  36,  37,  42,  58,  228. 
Ryan,  Isaac,  75. 
Rye,  149. 
Salters,  Anne,  97. 


4IO 


INDEX. 


Samms,  Sarah,  123. 

Thomas,  123,  266. 
Saurman,  243-247. 

Ann,  345. 

Jacob,  69,  80,  166,  345>  340. 

Jonathan,  347. 

Josiah,  346. 

Maria,  347. 

Martin,  345,  347- 

Mary,  346. 

Peter,  344.  345- 

Philip,  343,  344. 

Rebecca,  346. 

Yerkes,  346. 
Savre,  Charles,  249. 
Schools,  49-51,  57,  64,  87,  100,  108,  121-144,  203. 

Watson  Comly,  139. 
School  Books,  122. 
Scotts,  91. 

Jacob,  112. 

Samuel,  238. 

Thomas,  45. 
Scull,  Hannah,  263. 

James,  262. 

Joseph,  262. 

Nicholas,  63. 

Samuel,  263. 

Sarah,  262. 
Seary,  Sarah,  36. 
Self-Government,  73. 
Shallcross,  Edward,  50. 

Thomas,  201,  233. 
Shearer,  389-391. 

Ann,  391. 

Catharine,   390. 

Elizabeth,  390,  391. 

Henry,  390. 

Jacob,  389-391. 

Jane,  391. 

John,  390. 

Jonathan,  39C». 

Mary,  390. 

Susan,  391. 

William,  390. 
Sheep,  198. 
Shives,  Isaac  A.,  119. 
Shoemaker,  Amy,  284. 

Benjamin,  284. 

Comly,  284. 

Daniel,  377. 


INDEX.  411 


Eli,  284. 

Jane,  284. 

Mary,  284. 

Rebecca,  284. 

Robert,  284. 

Samuel,  281. 
Shotwell,  Sarah,  116. 
Shuli,  Rev.,  120. 
Shute,  Thomas,  QQ. 
Sides,  Jacob,  136. 
Silk  Culture,  199. 
Simcoe's  Queen's  Rangers,  74. 
Simmons,  John,  248,  249. 

Thomas,  153. 
Simon,  John,  119,  120. 
Simpson,  James,  152. 

John,  114. 
Singley,  Andrew,  70,  386,  387. 

Catherine,  386. 

Elizabeth,  386. 

Jemima,  387. 

John,  386.  / 

Joseph,  387. 

Marv.  386. 

Phebe,  387. 

Rebecca,  386,  387. 
Skirmishes,  68. 
Slavery,  =54,  60,  66,  94,  199. 
Sluby,  William,  98. 
Small-pox,  192,  194. 
Smedley's  Mill,  181. 
Smith,  Christopher,  249. 

Samuel,  126, 
Smithfield,  ^2,  60. 
Snyder,  Major  John,  74. 
Societies,  171-174,  199,  200,  206. 
Somerton,  52.  135,  203,  204,  223. 
Sommer,  72,  223,  242,  243. 
Southampton  Baptist  Church,  43. 
Sparold,  Samuel,  90. 

Stackhouse,  Ann,  Isaac,  John,  Jonathan,  Martha,    ihomas,  275. 
St.  Andrews  in  the  Field,  117,  120,  121. 
States,  Andre,  86. 

Mary,  192. 

Peter,  192. 
Storekeeping,  89. 
Streams,  194,  213,  214,  218. 
Storms,  56,  65,  183,  192-195,  207. 
Studies,  123. 
Superstition,  51,  84,  85,  100, 


412  INDEX. 

Surface,  213-218. 
Surveyors,  63. 
Swearing,  191,  192. 
Swedes,  18,  21.  25. 
Sweet  Apple  Crook,  100. 
Swift,  55. 

Dr.  196,  236. 

John,  276. 
Tailor,  197. 
Taminy,  78. 

Taverns,  57,  59,  62,  67,  70,  76,  210. 
Tax,  66,  69,  145,  209. 
Taylor,  Benjamin.  266. 
Teachers,  49,  50,  65,  87,  121,  124,  126,  127,  128,  13T,  134,  136,  I39.  238, 

241,  249,  298. 
Temperance,  104. 
Terry,  John,  362. 

William,  119,  120. 
**The  Congress,"'  200. 
The  Pines,  201. 
Thomas,  Captain,  74. 

Evan,  45,  58. 

Robert,  70. 
Thomas'  Mill,  229. 
Thornton,  351-353. 

Hannah,  123. 

James,  64,  70,  79,  102,  103,  112,  122,  126,  131,  155,  175,  35i» 

352. 

Joseph,  125. 

Mary,  352. 
Three  Tuns,  59,  62. 
Tibby,  John,  45. 
Til  Iyer  School,  128,  129. 
Tillyer,  Charles,  80. 

William,  50,  165. 
Timber,  32,  48,  204-206. 
Timber  Swamp,  222. 
Titus,  Silas,  58,  348. 
Todd,  CufiFv,  55. 
Tomlinscn,  384-389. 

Amos,  388. 

Benjamin,  290,  386,  387. 

Francis.  386,  388. 

Henry,  65,  'jz,  76,  384,  385. 

Diary  of,  76,  103. 

Isaac,  388. 

Isabella,  388. 

James,  387. 

Jes.se,  385. 

John,  75,  385.  .388. 


INDEX.  413 


Joseph.  384-3^6,  388. 

Martha,  388. 

Mary,  387. 

Phebe,  388. 

Rebecca,  385. 

Sarah,  385,  387. 

Silas,  389, 

Thomas,  266,  384,  386,  388. 

Watson,  117. 

William,  266,  387. 

Topography,  213-218. 

Tories,  ^2.,  74. 
Townsend,  347-351. 

Abi,  127. 

Elizabeth,  350,  351. 

Evan,  181,  349,  350. 

Ezra,  64.  78,  161,  350. 

Grace,  T02,  176,  351. 

Hannah,  348. 

James,  350, 

Jesse,  349. 

John,  63,  65,  78,  102,  122,  348-350. 

Martha,  349. 

Margery,  350. 

Nathaniel,  348. 

Phebe,  348,  349. 

Rachel,  349. 

Sarah,  348,  349,  351. 

Susan,  351. 

Tacy,  351. 

Thom.as,  63,  64,  67,  80,  102,  161,  347-350 
Townsend's  Mill,  180.  222. 
Training  Days,  207,  208. 
Treaties,  22-25. 

Trees,  ^'i,  184-186;  see  Timber,  etc. 
Trego,  Howard,  140. 

Seth,  140,  141. 
Trenton,  76. 
Trotter,  Rev.,  120. 
Trump,  Michael,  115. 
Tucker,  Nicholas,  45. 
Turtles,  195. 
Vanarsdalen,  or  Van  Arsdalen,  J.  M.,  136. 

Silas,  159. 
Vandergrift,  John,  74. 
Vanhorn,  or  Van  Horn,  68,  7"?. 
Vansant,  68.  '      »  /o 

Captain,  85. 

John,  391. 
Vaux,  Roberts,  19. 


414 


INDEX. 


Villages,  52,  219-225. 
Vincent,  Rev.,  120. 
Walmsley,  60,  353-363. 

Abigail,  356. 

Agnes,  102,  356,  358. 

Asa,  107,  161,  358. 

Benjamin,  161. 

Charles,  66,  72,  ^T. 

Daniel,  362,  363. 

Dr.,  174,  176. 

Elizabeth,  353,  356,  362,  363. 

Esther,  356. 

Giles,  361. 

Grace.  363. 

Henry,  353,  361,  362. 

James  Madison,  363. 

Walmsley,  Jesse,  291. 

Joan,  362. 

Joseph,  361. 

Martha,  357,  363. 

Mary,  356,  358,  361,  363. 

Phebe,  356. 

Ralph,  362. 

Richard,  359. 

Ruth,  114. 

Sarah,  358.  361-363. 

Silas,  291,  358. 

Thomas,  ^T,  353-355,  357-36o,  362. 

William,  57,  80,  12s,  210,  211,  291,  356,  357,  360,  3' 
Walnut  Hill  School,  131-135. 
Wain,  Nicholas,  99. 
Waltons,  19,  20,  55,  58,  91,  363-377. 

Aaron,  371,  372. 

Abel,  Z1Z,  375,  ZIT- 

Albertson,  50,  368. 

Ann.  37T. 

Benjamin,  74,  134,  192,  364,  365,  368,  370,  372. 

Brazilla,  372. 

Clifton,  372. 

Daniel,  43,  66,  363,  366,  368,  369,  371. 

Elijah,  376. 

Elizabeth,  116,  369. 

Esther,  370,  372. 

Hannah,  370,  374,  376. 

Isaac,  yjZ,  375- 

Isaiah,  376. 

Jacob,  375. 

James,  115,  131,  162. 

Jane,  368. 

Job,  112,  160,  374-376. 


INDEX.  415 


Jeremiah,  373»  375- 

Jonathan,  72,  242,  243,  368, 

Joseph,  364,  367,  369,  371. 

Joshua,  366,  368. 

Maria,  372. 

Mary,  115,  367,  369,  374>  376.  377. 

Massy,  368. 

Nancy,  50,  66. 

Nathaniel,  43,  363*  364- 

Phebe,  y]T. 

Rachel,  376. 

Rebecca,  370,  371. 

Richard,  66,  160,  369,  371. 

Samuel,  366. 

Sarah,  370,  376. 

Silas,  Z'jT. 

Sindonia,  372. 

Thomas,  43,  45,  57,  ill,  122,  363,  365,  375-37' 

William,  43,  m,  I77,  363.  370.  372-377- 
War,  French  and  Indian,  60,  210. 

Of  1812,  146-148. 

Revolutionary,  62,  63,  68,  211,  237,  242-244. 
Warrington,  Joseph,  370. 
Washington,  63,  69,  71,  74,  'j^i. 
Watamore,  John,  49. 

Nathan,  45. 
Watson,  John,  50. 
Watts,  John,  63,  235. 

Silas,  (i2i. 
Webster,  David,  316. 
Weed,  Solomon,  117. 
Welcome  Passengers,  25. 
Wells,  53,  204. 
Westcott,  Elizabeth,  177. 
Wheat,  149,  193. 
Wheels,  210,  211. 
Willard,  Benjamin,  210. 
Willett  Manuscript,  10. 
Willett,  General,  85. 
William  Penn  Cemetery,  170. 
Williams,  Nicholas,  45. 
Jonathan,  376. 
Wilson,  Ethan,  134. 

Mardon,  131. 
Witches,  51,  84,  85,  100. 
Women,  30.  ;  -^ 

Wood,  William,  141,  238. 
Worrel,  Denias  C,  116. 
Richard,  41. 


4i6 


INDEX. 


Worthington,  377-383- 

Abner,  382. 

Amos,  381. 

Amy,  383. 

Anthony,  383. 

Benjamin,  380-383. 

"Bulger,"  202. 

Daniel,  377. 

Eber,  382. 

Elizabeth,  379,  382. 

Enos,  383. 

Esther.  380,  381. 

Hannah,  379,  383- 

Hiram,  381.. 

Isaac,  380,  381. 

James,  383. 

Jesse,  381. 

Toel,  383. 
ohn,  160,  278,  577,  378,  380,  381,  383 

Joseph,  380,  382,  383. 

Joshua,  383,  387. 

Mahlon,  383. 

Martha,  380,  383. 

Mary,  379-381. 

Richard,  377,  378. 

Samuel,  377,  378. 

Sarah.  382. 

Thomas,  377-379- 

William,  267,  380,  381. 
Wright,  Jonathan,  191. 
Yarnall,  Peter,  69,  114,  I75,  236. 

Hannah,  114. 
Yearly  Meeting,  45. 
Young,  Thomas,  36. 


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